


A Birthday Well Spent

by VitaminLuce



Category: Persona 5, Persona Series
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Post-Canon, Sumire's dad is best girl
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-21
Updated: 2020-05-25
Packaged: 2021-03-01 20:14:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 24,172
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23762923
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VitaminLuce/pseuds/VitaminLuce
Summary: Contains spoilers for Persona 5 Royal. Ren looked forward to his birthday but neglected to mention it when he was a Phantom Thief, which meant that his friends had to make it the best birthday of his life. Just a small series on events taking place after the story with a bit more fulfillment post P5R.Arc 2: Fame, Golf and Goodbyes
Relationships: Amamiya Ren/Yoshizawa Kasumi, Kurusu Akira/Yoshizawa Kasumi, Persona 5 Protagonist/Yoshizawa Kasumi
Comments: 43
Kudos: 228





	1. A Fur-ball Awakening

"Ren wake up!" Morgana screamed as he flung himself onto his raven-haired partner in crime. The black fuzzball landed squarely onto his face and woke up the begrudged teen, earning a groan. 

He opened his eyes a bit to see a black abyss of fur-wearing the purple sweater Sumire picked out for him. She always had an eye for cute things and usually went with Ren to dress up the cat quite often. In fact, Morgana had a whole room for his clothes when the couple got a little too excited at the mall and bought out the entire store. 

The A.C was blasting pretty hard in the room so dressing the cat in a layer was the best decision, plus it was a bit nice to jazz up his look. 

"Morgana, it's 4 A.M and it's Sunday. You're already the dictator of when I sleep and when I'm tired. Just let me sleep in a little bit longer." He muttered as he shifted a bit onto his bed. 

The teenager had certainly been looking forward to today but not at this early hour. He was feeling a tad bit overheated with the black cat acting as a face-mask of sorts before he peeled him off, onto the side of his bed.

"But it's your birthday! You have to open the present I got you before everyone else bombards you with stuff." Morgana scurried off the bed and pushed a small parcel wrapped in a yellow ribbon. It was polished and shiny, similar to how the cat adored all shiny, pretty treasures during palace infiltrations.

Any annoyance Ren had vanished when he saw how much effort his cat best friend put into it. He smiles a bit as he reaches down to pick up the present and the feline. 

"You didn't have to do all this Morgana." He nuzzled the cat’s head as he meowed a bit in return. The black-haired teen unwrapped the present and smirked when he saw the treasure; it was a pair of beautiful, crimson gloves with Ren's initials at the base of the gloves. The detail, the material, it was all excellent craftsmanship. 

"Hehehe, glad to see you like it! Lady Ann helped me with it, I remembered how much you adored your gloves during infiltrations."

"Well aren't you just the best kitty ever?"

"Hey, I'm not a- Wait, I guess I am. Well, it doesn't matter, you've always been there for me Ren. Now come on let's get some food!" The cat exclaimed before jumping on the teen's head and then jumping off again to scurry around before food was ready. 

The boy got up with a bit more vigor and got breakfast started. Thanks to Sojiro’s recipes and notes, Ren could make practically anything with ease with curry and coffee still being his go-to. As he set the coffee to brew, he took a look around his house in appreciation. 

He had been able to get a well-furnished home with ease thanks to bullying shadows in Mementos and spamming the fuck out of running things over with Morgana. Along with Chihaya’s fortune-telling, Ren had made enough money to make Kaneshiro weep tears of jealousy. He chuckled a bit recalling the confusion ridden faces when he bought his house, but he was elated to get it in Yongen-Jaya so that he could attend Shujin for his third year. He didn’t expect to hate his hometown as soon as he returned there but, hoooo boy, it sucked.  
\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
Although Ren was from a small place in the countryside, rumors often stuck as it was hard not to recognize one another with a scarce population. Even though he was cleared of all of his charges, there were many that believed the justice system wholeheartedly and mistreated him. Within a month, he returned to the hustle and bustle of city life that he missed so dearly. He returned exactly a week before Shujin started and Kawakami was able to pull some strings to make his re-enrollment seamless. 

It was a bit bittersweet returning to see that many of his friends weren’t there, but he was still happy to be home with people that he loved. Futaba was excited when the frizzy-haired teen walked into Leblanc and Sojiro seemed to beam a smile for the rest of the week. The former forcing Ren to binge-watch Neo-Featherman later that day, but he was glad to have a word with Sojiro before being subjugated to television torture. 

“It’s good to be back home.” the third-year said as he took a sip of the coffee. The atmosphere of Leblanc was just as pleasing as he remembered; the atmosphere providing comfort that Ren didn’t know he needed. 

“Didn’t you just leave there to come here, kid?” Sojiro said with a chuckle.

“Home is a place where you grow up wanting to leave, and grow old wanting to get back to. This place is where my story began and besides, I can't exactly have a home without my family.” The teenager looked over to Futaba messing with Morgana on one of the tables and then back to Sojiro. 

“You always have something emotional like this out of your sleeves huh.” He said before drying his eyes a bit with his sleeve, claiming allergies. 

“This time I won’t be sleeping in the attic anymore but my house is right around where you guys live. Maybe I can show you how much I’ve been practicing your recipes sometime, but I’m just glad to see you guys again.” Ren finished the last of his coffee b

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
Ren’s reminiscing was cut short by the coffee being done and he poured it out into a cup for himself. His fingers worked through the brewing effortlessly as he started making curry for Morgana and himself. 

It had been a couple of months since he returned and they were finally on summer break, using the time to relax. Makoto and Haru were both at prestigious universities while Ryuji was at a different high school that was near a great physical therapy place.

The blonde had been getting more comfortable with his leg but he was still in pain when he pushed himself too far. Ann had been moving all across the globe, modeling and expanding her fame across the world. She sometimes came back to Tokyo to catch up with Ren and the others but it wasn’t for long. 

Yusuke was...well being Yusuke but was still close enough to hang out with Ren whenever he was free. Futaba had been doing great at school and was starting to make some more friends that shared her interests. 

Meanwhile, Sumire was doing great in gymnastics and was overwhelmed with happiness when Ren surprised her at one of her meets. He was biding his time for the perfect moment to surprise her with roses but she embraced him as soon as she saw his frizzy hair and warm eyes. 

Even if it had been a month, she missed him dearly and she didn’t want to ever let go and neither did he. She teared up a bit when he whispered into her ear that he was going back to Shujin and that he’ll always be there for her.

The teen finished making food and set Morgana up on the table to eat as well. Even if it was a bit early in the morning, the boy had to work on speeches with Yoshida and read through current issues. He worked as his assistant quite often now that Shido’s administration was banished as the two had a lot of work ahead of them if they wanted to reform Japan for the better. Thankfully, he finished up most of the work while eating with Morgana providing input every now and then. 

Beep! 

Ren’s phone went off but he already had a feeling what it was going to pertain to. Before going to his device to check, he cleaned the dishes and changed out of his sleepwear. Donning black jeans and a red shirt with a black shirt underneath, he and Morgana left home while the teen read through his messages.


	2. An Artistic Touch

The bright rays of the sun blinded Ren at first before his eyes adjusted to the sudden light. It was relatively easy without his fake glasses and his eyes felt a lot freer without them, but it was sometimes strange to go around in Yogen-Jaya. 

His face had grown so accustomed to wearing it everywhere that it felt like he was a different person without them. Although they were very much fake, they represented the mask he wore after his arrest. A mask that he struggled to free himself off, but he felt alive without it. His pitch-black curls dangled in front of his eyes thanks to the wind and he enjoyed the peaceful fleeting moment as it lasted. 

With Morgana on his shoulder, he opened up his phone to see his messages with a very expressive artist at the top of his list. 

**_Lobster Lover: Are you free as of the moment? I must request your appearance for a celebration of your youth. Although I do warn you that your jaw might hurt after the glorious display I have planned!_ **

**_aguish of christ: Yeah, I’ll be there in about_ **

**_30 minutes_ **

**_Lobster Lover: Wonderful! I shall see you soon in my accommodations._ **

He went to the next person and it was Sojiro letting him know that he was fixing up Leblanc until 8 in the evening. He didn’t think much of it, obliging to read the next message.

**_Sumi: hey sweetie, umm my parents wanted to have you over for dinner so they can get to know you better. can you come over at 7?_ **

“Hehe, looks like you have a date! Well, it’d be bad if I came along so maybe you can drop me off with sushi and with Lady Ann.” Morgana said as he jumped down and walked next to Ren. 

The boy grinned in return seeing that Morgana was still quite fond of Ann even after everything that happened. 

“Her parents hmm…” Ren pondered for a bit to recall the time he met her dad but it was back in the dream world when he was technically in juvie, so he wouldn’t have actually met him. He smiled regardless, he was looking forward to this more than anything and it would be a great way to end his day. 

He remembered the last time he was in her house, embracing her the day before they had to confront Maruki. She was a bit shaken at the end of her conviction growing, and he stayed a bit longer to keep her company. They watched a cheesy movie but it helped take their minds off the brutal combat that would follow the next day. With their hands locked, heads leaning against each other, and sharing one blanket, the couple felt at peace. 

Although Ren had to confront Maruki as soon as he went home, he knew he was making the right decision. He couldn’t take the possibility of letting someone else control their lives nor could his heart take his girlfriend going back to being her sister. She displayed so much courage in moving forward and being her true self and no one should ever rob her of that strength. 

**_Ren: id love to. hopefully, your dad doesn’t interview me like his television show does. I think I’ve been interrogated a bit too many times already_ **

**_Sumi: Ren! he’s just a lil bit overprotective but I know he’ll like you as much as I love you :)_ **

**_Ren: does that mean he’s gonna kiss me like you too?_ **

**_Sumi: okay okay maybe not as much but he's gonna like you a lot,_ **

**_Sumi: plus i think your kisses would be a lot better if they were on me 🥰_ **

**_Ren: idk I think I should kiss both of you to be safe :)_ **

**_see you at 7 darling_ **

**_Sumi: okay stay safe, i love you!_ **

**_Ren: luv u too_ **

Morgana faked his disgust at the overly sweet exchange between the two love birds. Ren chuckled as they made their way to the station and he paid the pet fee. There wasn't any point in carrying his bag since school was still out for the next two weeks so Morgana rode with the boy in peace. Occasionally, there were a few kids that wanted to pet the cat but he quickly accepted his fate and allowed it. It was certainly better than being "button-mashed" as before. 

The journey only took about ten minutes and before they knew it, they arrived. Yusuke lived in an apartment close to his school now thanks to some artwork that he had been able to sell. They knocked on his door, to be greeted by the bluenette.

"Ah, you've arrived! Please come in, I must show you what I have been working on. It has required my soul, my energy, and pure passion!"

"But I feel that you shall be able to appreciate true beauty such as this!" Yusuke exclaimed as he began to get something out. 

Ren took a quick glance at the apartment and his friend, noticing that his eyes had bags that were dark and deep. It seemed as if he hadn't slept in days, opting to work on something. The apartment was messy and there seemed to be marble dust on the floor with an assortment of tools that would be used with sculpting. While the boy looked around, Morgana went wandering about as he was curious to see what the artist had been up to. 

  
  


"Ah yes, feast your eyes upon this Ren!" The aforementioned teen looked ahead to see a painting in a frame reminiscent of the calling cards Yusuke produced for the thieves from before. It was a portrait of all of the Phantom Thieves walking towards the viewer, all in their normal clothes with all their masks in the background left behind. The background was of Tokyo with red and black contrasts shaping a gorgeous sight.

It was a delightful ornament that absorbed all of Ren's attention as he saw the detail and precision of Yusuke’s brushes. Futaba had her Cheshire-cat grin on the right while looking to her side; Ryuji to her right while looking somewhat diabolical and thrusting his arm forward. Haru was in the back looking around in the gleam and scenes, but still moving forward with her poofy hair blowing across her face. Right in the center were Ren and Morgana, the former was walking forward with conviction and confidence that he smirked at. He no longer had his glasses and Morgana was in his cat form instead of his palace infiltration appearance, as he accepted his true self. 

To their right, Sumire was walking with her glasses on, her hair flowing beautifully with the wind and her red orbs locked on Ren. Next to her, Ann was skipping with glee, and Yusuke struck a pose that was only radiant to him but similar to a Neo-Featherman posture. Adjacent to them, Makoto messed with her hair and walked effortlessly forward. On the very right, Goro had a smile as he looked back at his fellow phantom thieves. Ren felt a bit of relief seeing him among everyone else, but his mind went blank for a bit seeing his rival/friend again.

It was at that moment that he realized what the art meant, they were free of pretending. They were walking in the same direction, towards a future they were going to make themselves. Although all of them were going the same way, they were all going into different paths of their own making. It was symbolic of why they went against Maruki’s reality and living for themselves.

“Hope was the light you provided to my narrow mind, but this is what all of us worked towards. Whenever I think of how easily I was deceived by my own desires, I chastise myself for keeping the door ajar to my selfishness. But, this is what shook me back to reality after you spoke with me. I….” Yusuke took a pause to catch his breath.

“I don’t think I can ever voice the emotions I felt through words but this is what I can do, express myself through my own creations. I hope that you can look upon this painting if you ever feel like I did, regretful, confused, or unsure of something. But remember that we will always be with you, even if it’s not physically but I don’t think you’ll ever feel like that since it’s you.” Yusuke chuckled a bit, unaware that Ren was overcome with emotions. He always felt as if he would never regret his decision to deny the false reality but sometimes doubts crept in his mind. It was… 

.

.

.

Difficult, to put it lightly. But seeing this, a piece that reminded him of their resolve and their tenacity to keep living for themselves, cleared the raven-haired teen's mind of any lingering doubts.

“Thank you.” Ren solemnly said as he grinned at Yusuke. He remembered the numerous art DVDs he watched with the bluenette, the countless trips to see beauties that Yusuke would remedy onto his paintings, and numerous discussions on ideologies. For all of his oddities, he was still someone normal in the brunette’s eyes. 

“But wait, that is not all! I have toiled with, hurdled with, and overcome the monstrous challenge of taking up sculpting. Ah yes! It was an interesting proposal by my teachers but Ren, you must be my first model. I can envision it! Your body on full display, in a marble perfect array.” Yusuke began to have a mad laughing fit as his friend looked on in bewilderment. Although the proposal sounded kind of fun, he wasn’t sure that it would be the best choice. Sumire surely wouldn’t support it and would most likely faint when she heard the idea. 

“I’m honored Yusuke and I would agree to it but I think I would need permission from a certain someone.” 

“Ah right, your life companion surely needs to hear about this wondrous display. I cannot wait until the day when I can depict all details of you.” Yusuke went back to laughing like a maniac while Ren hit a realization. Only a couple of the other thieves knew that Sumire and Ren were together, with Morgana, Yusuke, and Futaba being the only ones that knew definitively. 

Morgana was straightforward, he was always with the teen. Futaba had Leblanc bugged to the wire and knew everything that went down when the two confessed to each other and she teased him to death with it. Ren was praying that Futaba would get with her infamous “Inari” so that he could have something to hit her back with. 

Meanwhile, Yusuke had been looking for inspiration when he stumbled on the couple holding hands at Inokashira Park. He had been very proud of him as he discovered something new about his friend, even asking to paint the couple at the moment he saw them. The redhead instantly denied it but Ren was all for it, causing his lover immense embarrassment. 

No one else, besides the three, was aware of their relationship but the former leader made a mental note to let all of them know once they were together. It was not exactly a secret but, he wanted them to see how happy she made him. His brave and focused facade was necessary for their success so he didn’t really broadcast his friendships or relationships to all of them. For example, it would have been weird if he told the thieves that he was best friends with Akechi when they were in disgust with him after he shot Ren. He wondered about the next time they would all be able to gather together, they hadn’t been able to hang out altogether since they disbanded the Phantom Thieves.

After the artist had finished laughing, the two began to talk about leisurely topics before being interrupted by a certain cat.

“REN CAN WE GET SUSHI!” Morgana yelped out as the cat found his way back to the two third-years. Their conversation had lasted a while but time passed so quickly when thought-provoking topics arose.

"Ah, I suppose this is when we will have to part as I don't carry cat food in my home." 

"Or any food for that matter. For real, there are only paintings and art brushes in this place!" Morgana chimed in with, much to Yusuke's chagrin. 

The bluenette gave the painting to the boy and bid the pair farewell, but Ren struck a pose with him to match his energy and to make their departure a bit more exciting. 

"Ah yes, this shall be our official greeting with one another. A stance that shall eclipse the dawn with its glory!"

The frizzy-haired teen checked his phone and saw that it was already 1 by the time they got home. He hung the painting in his living room with Morgana helping him find the perfect space on the wall for it. 

"Move it to the right a bit more! Wait, no move it to the left a tiny bit. Actually move it higher."

"I think it looks fine here" 

  
  


Soon after, the third-year got straight into making sushi for lunch since it was the cat's favorite meal at any time of the day. He put on an apron to protect himself from any accidents (aka Morgana getting too excited and hopping onto the fish) and washed his knives before cutting the ingredients.

Meanwhile, the cat was watching whatever was on television and complaining about the lack of superheroes. It was like he was still a child at heart to Ren but he finished making the food relatively quickly and put it in a bowl for Morgana and himself. They both watched some cartoons for a bit as they ate before the teenager switched to the local news to see if anything interesting was on. Occasionally, he checked his phone to see if there were any new messages. He saw that he had one from Ryuji that he decided to respond to.

**_IM A PHANTOM THIEF: happy birthday man!!!! it sucks that I can't be there to say it to u in person but as soon as I see you again we're still gonna race!_ **

**_fellow delinquent: im already ready, fuck it imma run to you_ **

**_Fellow delinquent: no man left behind_ **

**_IM A PHANTOM THIEF: im no mathmagician but aint that kinda far?_ **

**_Fellow delinquent: do u mean mathematician ryuji LMAO_ **

**_fellow delinquent: and bro i literally shot god_ **

**_IM A PHANTOM THIEF: you right but i dont think u have running shoes that can last that long of a trip, dont worry tho imma help you get ones thatll let u run all across tokyo!_ **

**_fellow delinquent: sounds like a plan_ **

**_IM A PHANTOM THIEF: aw crapppp, i gotta get back to rehab so ill catch ya later man! have a great birthday!!!!_ **

  
  


_ “Good to see Ryuji is still the same as ever and it’s good to see him working towards recovering,”  _ he thought to himself.

It had been a while since the two had been able to hang out but the two still timed their runs and shared it with each other in a friendly competition of sorts. It helped Ryuji feel some form of comfort seeing someone else run with him and motivated him to get better, knowing that he had people rooting him on. 

“HEY LOOK, THAT LOOKS LIKE LADY ANN ON THAT COMMERCIAL!” Morgana blurted, catching the raven-haired teen’s attention. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, that was certainly something. I was ecstatic when I saw how well my first chapter went since it's been god knows how long since I wrote fanfiction but this has been pretty fun so far. I decided to churn out this chapter since my schedule is gonna be a little bit hectic with a major holiday (technically a month holiday) coming up which is gonna devoid me of any energy to write for a while. But, I'll try my best to make sure the updates aren't like three months apart or something haha. I wanted this chapter to give context on how close Ren is to Yusuke and a lot of his friends; I specifically picked everyone's favorite artist because he still lived close to where everything went down and is still kind of in similar situations to Ren. Clearly, you can see who the next chapter is gonna be but it won't exactly be what you're expecting. Also, I am delighted with the uprise of more SumiXRen fics yall! if you've been debating whether or not to write about them, i'd give it a shot! After reading some amazing stories on them so far, I wanted to give it a shot and feel a bit less empty after royal lol. Anyways, hope you enjoyed and leave a comment!


	3. Ace Defective

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> God, I doubt anyone reads these.

To Ren's disbelief and Morgana's excitement, their friend Ann Takamaki was on a run-way with other models on an advertisement on their television. It was revealed that all of them were going to be acting in an upcoming show, which caused a certain cat to hop around with energy. It was amazing considering that she dreamed of being on tv and being seen worldwide, as this was a step in the right direction. 

"Hah, she's really been working hard to get that role huh." The brunette muttered to himself. Although it may seem insignificant to most, getting any role was quite complex and especially with the number of models available in the United States. To see Ann get into acting would definitely increase the attention on her and get her the publicity she strived for. 

While Morgana was running around in circles of glee, the third year went to text his friend congratulations. 

**_coffee connoisseur: dude mona and I just saw you on tv, congrats on the acting role! when's it launch_ **

**_pastry plunderer: omg they already put up the teaser for it???_ **

**_pastry plunderer: i was hoping to surprise you guys when i came back but 🙄_ **

**_pastry plunderer: wait why r you congratulating me, it's your birthday !!!_ **

**_pastry plunderer: which means…….._ **

**_coffee connoisseur: oh god please dont sing_ **

**_pastry plunderer: but i have to! plussss itll get me some experience which i can use on the upcoming showwww_ **

As soon as Ann finished sending the last message, Ren’s phone got a call and he picked it up reluctantly. As soon as he picked it up, he was bombarded with the blonde’s attempt at a birthday song however it resembled more of a screech.

“ **Happppyy birthday to youuu! Happpppyyyyy birthday to youuuuuuuu! Happy birthday dearrrrrrrrrr Rennnnnnnnnnnn! Happyyyyyy birthhhhhhhdayyyyyy toooooooooooo youuuuuuuu!”**

“That was surprisingly…..

“Great right?” 

“I think I hear a ringing sound”

“Oh haha….

.

.

Huh, It’s been a while since we’ve actually talked to each other using our phones.” The blonde added with a bit of sadness yet a hint of relief as well.

“Well, I did beat you in 8ball so I think that’s plenty.”

“Pffft, what’s that make the record? 75 for me, three for you?” 

“Okay okay I may not be the best at it but it’s still kind of fun. Anyways, how’s summer break going for you besides like the thousands of shoots you have to do?” 

Ann took a bit of a pause before she responded.

“It’s kind of great but I really miss seeing you guys. Maybe we can organize a get together when we’re all free during winter break or something? It’s really hard with our busy schedules and all.”

Both teens were a bit demoralized after the blonde’s statement but the brunette shifted the conversation away from the topic.

“By the way, thanks for helping Morgana with the gloves. They turned out great. I’m curious about how you guys managed it all, especially since you’re all the way overseas.”

“Well, most of it was his doing. He wanted my advice on a lot of things like the color, the design, and the cute little box. He used a phone somehow to call my number and we’ve been planning it for abouttttttttt~"

“Two months!” Morgana chimed in

“Yup just about that long. I think he used one of Futaba's phones for it."

"Hmm, that does explain why he disappeared randomly every now and then. I just thought he found a cat girlfriend or something"

"Hey! My eyes are only reserved for Lady Ann. Besides, I don't know if I can communicate with other cats." 

" **WAIT WHAT!?!"** Ann responded and completely destroyed Ren's ears as a result. Similarly, the black cat jumped from the sudden noise and landed in the brunette's bowl.

"There goes the sushi…" The third-year muttered as fish was splattered everywhere.

"Wait so you really can't communicate with other cats?" Ann asked with the utmost curiosity.

"Well, I haven't tried it. I'm usually always with you guys and people that can understand me so I haven't really run into any."

"Interesting…. 

.

.

.

.

Wait, you and Ren should test it out. If it all goes well, you could be a kitty cat Google translate!" The blonde screamed with delight while the cat was debating the option. He was a bit curious to see if he could talk to other felines or if they could even understand him. 

"Do you think I'd have to meow at them or would they understand what I'm saying?" 

"No clue but we'll find out  **after** we clean up." 

"Clean up wha-" Morgana stopped mid-sentence after seeing pieces of fish scrambled across their living room floor. 

"NOOO." The cat yelled with sorrow. Immediately after, the raven-haired laughed and his feline companion joined him. Every couple of days had the two of them clean up one of their own messes and it was always in the strangest circumstances.

Just a few nights earlier, the Phantom Thieves leader had sleepwalked and brewed coffee while asleep. The coffee turned out great but he didn't turn it off nor did he do it neatly. He knocked over countless appliances, bowls and somehow the coffee maker broke. But, he did have a perfect cup of coffee the following morning albeit the cold temperature. 

In other instances, Morgana knocked over things on a normal routine. Sometimes it was loud noises or having too much energy, causing him to jump all over the place.

"Ahh dang, this was really fun though. I'll see you guys later okay?"

"It was good talking to you Ann, can't wait to see your show."

"Farewell Lady Ann!" 

The call ended and the pair went straight to cleaning. Removing the fish was the easy part but the rice was a mess. It splattered all over the hardwood floor and on some parts of the couch, leading to a strange aroma. After wiping most of the mess away, they vacuumed for a while until both were somewhat tired. 

"Sometimes I wonder how we managed to not burn down Leblanc while living there Morgana." The brunette said as he petted the cat. 

"It was because the chef might have killed us if we messed anything up. But without his supervision, it's all up to us!" 

BEEP! The boy got another message and went to check who it was. Some time passed yet he still had a couple hours before dinner with Sumire and her parents if he needed to do something. He browsed through his messages to see that it was Haru. 

**_floof: Happy 18th Birthday Ren_ ** !!! 

**floof: im kind of still stuck with classes this week. as soon as that's over, I wanted you to try a new itemI designed thanks to you!**

**frizz: aw thanks haru! id love to try it out sometime and good luck with your classes. i know it's really stressful but I'm confident you got this.**

**floof: thank you, enjoy your birthday Ren!!**

Unsurprisingly, Ren had another message within moments. It was none other than their former strategist and student council president. Makoto had been at University studying diligently while also trying to make more friends and get out a bit more. Although she prioritized her goal of becoming a police commissioner, she never wanted to feel robotic to her peers or her friends again.

**team mom/cop: Happy Birthday Ren! I was looking forward to giving you your birthday gift. However, I’m afraid I’m attending Sae’s first case in her new job today. I’m unsure of when it will exactly end. It’s actually at the building where all of us went for her case to infiltrate her palace.**

**Amamiya Ren: oh crap that’s not that far. U think i can come by to watch? Im curious to see defense attorney niijima in action**

**team mom/cop: Sure, I think sis would appreciate the support. Well I assume you have the address, I’ll meet you at the front entrance.**

"Hey I want to go too!" the cat exclaimed.

"Of course you are buddy, but I'm afraid you're gonna have to be in the bag." The teen got the bag and Morgana hopped in without any problems, sticking his head out as usual. 

Another train ride and a bit of walking later, the pair arrived at the building to be met by the one and only Fist of the Phantom Thieves. 

"It's good to see you again Ren. Before I forget, here's your birthday present." The brunette handed the birthday boy a relatively thick novel that looked to be in mint condition. 

"Wow thank you so much Makoto, this looks really interesting. Any particular reason you picked this book?" The boy said while looking at the title, _Invisible Man_ _by Ralph Elison._

The brunette seemed to gleam as she responded "My dad used to read pretty frequently and this was one of his favorite books. I read it pretty often when I was a kid and the messages really stay true even to this day. I hope you'll enjoy it as much as I did."

"Thank you, Makoto." The third-year was grateful for the gift and there was curiosity developing on his mind. 

_ "A novel that both Makoto and her father loved hmm. This definitely seems interesting, I can't wait to read it." He thought to himself.  _

"Hey isn't the trial starting soon?" Morgana asked with uncertainty. 

"Ah, you're right. Wait is that Morgana? You two really are inseparable" The brunette giggled. 

The three went inside and took a seat right in front of the crowd. The courtroom itself was big and spacious, the gleaming lights blistering over everyone. Although there were quite a few people, it wasn't too crowded at the same time. On the contrary, there were multiple reporters eagerly awaiting a scoop for something. Sae was quite renowned for her hard-working strait-laced approach to everything and her career change certainly caught the eye of the media. The most intriguing part of the media was the fact that she got a calling card from the Phantom Thieves but never publicly admitted her "crimes" and fessed up about any "sins".

Although it was true that Sae had a chance of heart, it was by her own accord after interrogating Ren and learning the true nature of the Phantom Thieves. Her own justice was listed as false and inhumane, causing the prosecutor to fight for the correct form of justice.

From what Makoto briefed the third-year on, the case was relatively simple but it reminded Ren of what got him arrested. According to the “report”, a girl shoved an innocent man into a wall and severely beat him for her own pleasure, running away after. But before Ren could dwell on the matter, Sae made her way to the court.

The older Niijima took a look across the courtroom and saw her sister in the front row, which led to a smile that Makoto had gotten used to seeing more often now. Her older sister had made better efforts of talking with her and hanging out with her that wasn’t just oriented towards her career. When either of them made time out of their day to support the other one, it made it feel like the supportive family that Makoto yearned for in Maruki’s reality but she was content with just her sister and herself now. A false reality would be throwing away all the hard work Sae put into raising Makoto and their own personalities. 

Ren gave a short wave to Sae who realized that the third-year was there, leading to a look of shock before she quickly composed herself. She was looking forward to having a word with her sister and him during the intermission but for now, she focused on the situation at hand. 

After the judge listed off the details of the case, the opposing party began to tell their narrative of the events that took place. A man with a black suit and a paper-thin mustache stepped forward before clearing his throat. Ren had a bad feeling about the guy just from the mustache but he waited to hear both sides of the story before making a preemptive assumption. 

“As you can see, this terrifying woman right here….” The man pointed to the so-called assailant who looked to be a seventeen-year-old girl that seemed shell shocked to even be there. 

It reminded the raven-haired teen of his trial where everything was stacked up against him and he was given an attorney that did nothing for him. More importantly, it felt like the world was against him after the grave injustice he felt. It felt like the true Ren was removed from the world and replaced with a tightlipped boy that was avoiding confrontation. His journey had restored him to his true self and he was glad, but the situation at hand looked ugly. Regardless, he turned back into the paper-thin mustache man.

“- harassed our client, a poor man that was returning his way peacefully to his home, before being barbarically tortured with a vicious throw to the wall. His face shall never recover from this horrendous crime but it can be solved with a jail sentence fitting for such a criminal.” Mustache man sat down and looked content along with his client, who seemed to be a… man? 

The person was a six-foot-tall blonde person whose figure depicted more of a mannequin-like appearance with robotic features. It seemed as if he did not have a scar about him besides a tiny bump on his forehead. 

_ “There is no way that girl could have hit the man let alone push him against a wall to hurt him as much as that man dramatized.”  _ Ren thought to himself. Before Sae took the stage, she looked to the girl and gave her a bit of comfort by exchanging some words with her. The reassurance was precious as it seemed to snap the poor girl out of the disillusionment sorrow look she had in her eyes and the brunette saw a faint hint of hope. It wasn’t much but the girl looked to be a bit more aware of her surroundings and looked to Sae now. 

The defense attorney began. “While it is easy to pin the blame of one’s own misdeeds on the innocent, that is not how our justice system should ever revert to. What the lawyer is not telling you about this case is that the girl was being followed and harassed repeatedly by someone under the influence of alcohol. Someone that has a monopoly of all the businesses in the area and exploits cash out of them at every measure possible. Moreover, he thought that he could get away with exploiting a poor girl that was simply trying to go home as proven with these photos from the security camera of the instance.” At the conclusion of her words, she opened her folder before giving it to the judge. The paper-mustache man was in shock along with his mannequin client who loudly grunted.

“And we’re fucked.” The mustache man muttered. 

“Well, it seems like someone’s attempts at tampering with evidence has failed. Furthermore, the photos show him following this young lady home and her running away frantically from this man, fearful of any peril. As he was under the influence, he ran into a wall while frantically searching for the real victim of this case. He did not suffer any injuries besides minor ones that would heal in a few days but instead tried to shift the narrative on someone that had nothing to do with him.” Sae was going to continue but the judge ordered a stop since they were going to take an intermission now. The defense attorney dropped off the folders to the judge who kept a straight face while nodding to the ash haired lawyer.

“Well, that was something.” Morgana whispered out of the bag.

“Yeah, did not expect all of this transpiring. We should talk to Sae now and congratulate her on a case closed though.” Ren agreed but thought an internal thought  _ She really has changed a lot. _

While the court case was wrapping up for the break, the attorney was still talking to the girl and encouraging her to talk to her family who seemed a lot more caring towards the girl after hearing the details of the situation. Now that definitive proof had been shown, they felt a lot more safe and comfortable to enjoy the little bit of peace before everything resumed again.

Instead of Sae focusing on achieving victory by any means, she showed empathy and restraint during the entire trial. She listened to people and heard their voices rather than ignore them as she used to prior. Her voice resounded with conviction and pride as she was still as precise as ever; someone could call it the Niijima special as Makoto did similar during pertinent times. Within minutes, the third-year and the two sisters met at a cafeteria table where reporters were attempting to ask questions but stopped after Sae promised to answer some after the trial was officially done. 

“It’s good to see you Ren, how have you been?” The older Niijima asked.

“Well not in prison and haven’t got into any trouble recently so that’s great.” The boy’s remark made the party chuckle. He then moved onto a question he had for her.

“ Regarding your case, what made you want to take this one?”

“Well, it caught my eye when I read over it. It seemed as if everything was stacked against that poor girl and no one was willing to help her because of the man that accused her. He had control over all of the areas financially which meant that if someone was caught assisting her in any means, he could simply shut down their store or find a way to harass them.”

“That’s terrible.” Makoto uttered in disbelief. 

“I wish we could change his heart but our phantom thieving days are done.” Morgana somberly said from the bag but only Ren caught what he said.

“There’s always going to be selfish people in the world and even though it seems like they’re getting away with these sort of things, they’ll get their comeuppance. I don’t want anyone else to suffer the injustices you faced nor do I want them to feel like the justice system is against them. At least, that’s what I can promise you.” The words reflected Sae’s unwavering resolve. 

“Sis…” Makoto seemed to beam seeing her sister determined while Ren just nodded and smiled at her in understanding. The two made eye contact for a bit and exchanged words seamlessly through the look in their eyes. Sae was going to keep on helping those in need and thanked the boy for helping her see her own justice. 

After some more conversation about what Ren and Makoto were up to these days, it was time to resume the trial. Sae said goodbye and went to the judge for an update on the decision-making process along with the jury. 

“I’m afraid this is when they’re going to take hours to decide the result so nothing much is going to happen for a while. Since I know you have a pretty busy schedule, I’ll text you the results of all this.” The younger Niijima said.

“Thanks, Makoto, it was good to see you and Sae again.” The third-year began to walk away but he turned around when the brunette’s voice stopped him in his tracks after a few seconds.

“One last thing before you depart.” 

The raven-haired teen turned around. 

“I know you’re not doing dangerous things per se, but be careful before you do anything reckless. There are a lot of people that care about you and saying goodbye like that…” The brunette trailed off but Ren understood what she meant. 

In fact, he was probably the luckiest Phantom Thieve in their group family-wise. He still had both of his parents no matter how estranged they were at the moment but a lot of his friends did not have that luxury. Having one of his friends die unexpectedly was an unnerving thought.

“Yeah, you’re right.

.

.

.

But, thankfully our most dangerous days are behind us now. I’ll stay out of unnecessary trouble and I’m sure Morgana is gonna help keep both of us safe. He is a pretty nifty kitty.” 

“That’s right! No worries here Makoto!” The cat exclaimed while rearing his head out of the bag, earning a chuckle from the two students.

“I’m glad to hear that, I’ll see you guys another time then.” The college student smiled and seemed thankful that her words strung a cord with the boy. 

The teen and cat departed, returning home a bit later than they would have liked. In spite of the tardiness on the train, the boy looked at the time and was delighted to see that he still had an hour and a half until his dinner date with Sumire and her parents. After showering, brushing his hair a bit, and donning some nice clothes for the occasion, he accoutred himself in a black polo with a white collar and matching slacks. 

“Readyyyy forrr yourrrrr dateeeeee Rennnnnnnnn~” Morgana said in a teasing accent as he hopped onto the counter.

“It’s showtime.” The boy replied while opening the door.

“Hehehe, I haven’t heard you say that since our last heist. Good luck and make sure you tell Sumire I said hi! I’m gonna go see if I can make cat friends.” Morgana said as he scurried out the house.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, I kind of ran into a crap ton of inspiration to write this chapter out of the blue but glad I got this one out. I tried to keep everyone true to their characters and it's a bit less comedic than I would have liked without lobster boy and criminal number 2. The next chapter is gonna be what you're expecting but its gonna take me a while to get it out. Sumi's parents are gonna be a little difficult to write but I have some ideas in mind for them. Regardless, hope you enjoyed this chapter and see ya next time.


	4. Dinner with the Yoshizawas

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Phantom Thieves leader finally meets his girlfriend's parents and shares some sweet moments with a certain someone.

Ren was debating whether or not to take his car out of his garage but opted not to take it since he was only having dinner with Sumire and her parents. Her father was a gentle person, truly caring and supportive of her but he hadn’t met her mother yet. However, he did recall his girlfriend mentioning that she was very teasing and constantly wanted her to bring Ren over so they could meet him. 

Surprisingly, the third-year didn’t feel nervous, with curiosity being the most distinct emotion. He was getting close to his destination so he decided to text her the update.

Ren: hey im almost at your house, can’t wait to see you

Sumi: aw okay i’ll be right outside, see you soon!!

It had only been a couple of days since they were able to hang out but that didn’t stop the two from pining for each other. As Ren approached her house, he saw his girlfriend wearing the dress that she bought in the winter, a beautiful blue dress that brought out her dazzling red eyes covered by her usual glasses. Her hair flowed beautifully with the air as Ren’s grey eyes met her red orbs. Although the third-year smiled sheepishly, his mind was running circles and screaming at how amazing she looked. 

_“AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH”_

Before he could compliment her, he was crushed from her hugging him to death. Her embrace felt warm, jovial, and full of love which he loved every moment of. 

“I missed you” The redhead sighed.

“I missed you too.” The lovers stayed there for a bit, enjoying each other’s presence before whatever ordeal awaited them. While holding onto her, Ren felt his girlfriend shaking slightly but he assumed that it was because she was worried about how this was gonna go. After their loving gesture ended, he held her hand for a bit of comfort. 

“You ready Sumi?” He asked as they made their way to the door.

“I think so! I’m just a little worried…” She trailed off with a bit of anxiety brewing but her boyfriend just held her hand a bit stronger, emphasizing that they were going to do this together. 

She felt more reassured as she responded, “But we’ve gone through so much already, I guess I should be a bit more confident.” 

“And there’s still a lot more we’re gonna get through together sweetie.” He gave her an affectionate smile and her cheeks flushed a bit. Taking a deep breath, Sumire opened the door. 

The atmosphere was inviting and it caused Ren to relax a bit, he had a good feeling about this until….

“OH MY GOSH SUMIRE IS THAT YOUR BOYFRIEND!?!? YOU TWO ARE PERFECT FOR EACH OTHER” An older woman with red hair screamed. He assumed it to be her mother considering the hair and similarities between the two. The sharp contrasts being the age and personalities as the mother seemed very energetic.

“Mom!” Sumire yelped in embarrassment. While her mother was gushing in delight and questioning her on everything about Ren, her father approached the boy.

“Ah, you must be Ren." A man with brown hair and red glasses greeted the boy. He still wore his glasses as eagerly as he got them.

"It's a pleasure to meet you Mr. and Mrs. Yoshizawa." The teen said with a bow.

"It's nice to meet you too Ren, I'm Akane Yoshizawa. Now, when are you two getting engaged?" responded the mother.

"Mom!" The mother went back to questioning her daughter and what Ren assumed to be teasing. 

"It's good to finally meet the boy that Sumire’s always talked about. I'm sorry to ask you so suddenly to have dinner with us." 

"Oh I don't mind at all, I was looking forward to this for a long time. You said she talks about me all the time?" He asked with a cheeky grin which resulted in his girlfriend feeling flustered. 

"Dad! Not you too…" The second-year said as she was still getting stampeded with questions.

"Oh yes, I remember her being elated at making friends with someone and I've never seen her so excited to go to school. After she told us she was seeing someone, we had a feeling it was you. You were the only one she spoke so vibrantly about but we were glad to see her so happy. Whenever she came home a bit later than usual, we could tell that she spent time with you from the expression on her face." 

"You should have seen her at home after White day and Valentine's day! She wore her smile for weeks and weeks thinking about you!" Her mother added on. 

And with that, Ren knew that this was already going quite well for everyone except Sumire. He gave a quick glance at her to see her face match her hair and chuckled a bit. He loved his girlfriend to the world and it soothed his heart hearing how much she cared for him back. It was also the first time he was meeting the parents of someone he was dating but this felt so right. Her family seemed even more supportive and nice than he could imagine; they were certainly a lot warmer than the people in his hometown including his parents.

"I'm glad to hear that. Also, those glasses really do suit you Mr. Yoshizawa." His red-frames truly fit himself quite well, matching with the red aesthetic the family sort of had. But as a result, the third-year imagined the man with red hair and then it quickly dissipated. 

"Ah you think so?" The man replied as he took them off, looking at it's details once more.

"I'm grateful to you for helping Sumire pick them out for me. I wear it practically everywhere now so thank you." He continued,

"Hmm for some reason I'm getting a strange sense of deja vu but I believe this is the first time we're meeting correct?" Red nodded a yes to the question but his mind thought differently. 

_"wellll technicallyyyyyyy"_ Ren thought to himself. 

"Ah, that's a bit strange then hm." The man turned to the table.

"Well, we should get to dinner. I hope you enjoy Miso soup and sushi Ren."

He chuckled with his response, remembering the situation earlier today. "I love sushi, I actually made that for lunch with my cat Morgana. But unfortunately, he got a little too excited and we made a bit of a mess."

"Awww did Morgana get his clothes ruined?" Sumire chimed in. 

"Nope but he did launch fish onto the floor." He responded and the red-head giggled softly. 

The four took their seat at the table talking about a variety of topics.

"So Ren, what are you going to be studying, and do you know where you want to go?" her father asked, his tone emulating a strict demeanor but overshadowed by his kind voice. 

The third-year had a feeling that he was going to ask something like this and mentally prepared beforehand. 

"I'm hoping to go into political science for awhile now. I've been working under Toranosuke Yoshida for about a year and a half which has shown me that our current system ignores many of its problems to push their own narrative. For example, we brag about having a 99.9 percent win ratio for cases but we don't question whether or not those are correct. As for college, the University of Tokyo and Kyoto are my top choices. I prefer the former because…” He took a brief pause to phrase his words a bit more carefully. 

"Well, I really love living here and the people here especially." He finished off while looking to his girlfriend. His lips curled up into a sincere smile and she smiled back before her mother practically swooned at the scene.

"Those are great choices, I actually attended Kyoto University and -" Her father responded before being cut off by his wife. 

"Shinichi! You can question Ren later but there are more important things to talk about! So, who confessed their love to who first?" Akane yelled to which her daughter froze up while trying to respond. 

“U-uhmm. I- no…. yes?" The second-year was mumbling and while Ren was captured by how adorable the scene was, he decided to help her out a bit.

"Well actually, I confessed to her when I was helping her shop for a new dress and it's the one she's wearing right now." He smiled at the two redheads.

"I looked into her eyes and said 'I love you' but she thought I meant the dress. She was still really flustered for about two weeks but she got the confidence to admit her feelings and we've been dating since then." He finished off to which Akane leaped out of her chair.

"OH MY GOSH SUMIRE YOU DIDN'T TELL ME YOU HAD AN AMAZING CONFESSION LIKE THAT. I WANT EVERY DETAIL RIGHT NOW!"

The second year was in bewilderment, embarrassment, but also felt happy in the chaos of the situation. Giving a frail smile to her boyfriend, she was dragged off into the kitchen by her mother who was now asking about every detail.

"Akane… gets a little excited at romance if you haven't noticed." Shinichi said. 

"You two seem perfect for each other though and most of all, you guys really care for Sumire. Thank you." 

"Heh, I should be the one thanking you. But, I did have a private matter to discuss with you Ren."

The boy in question raised an eyebrow and his face returned to his more natural expression, a blank face. 

The man took a sigh before he began. "Well, I did some research on you and it says you were charged with assaulting a man but the charges were dropped one year later. There were almost no details available so I wanted to ask you about it directly." He said solemnly and carefully. There wasn't a hint of negativity or resent in his words to the raven-haired teen's relief. 

"Do you remember the politician named Masayoshi Shido, the former Prime Minister?"

Mr. Yoshizawa nodded a yes.

"Well about a year ago, I ran into him drunk, harassing a woman and trying to force her into his car for unimaginable horrors." 

The older man's face was disgusted with that type of activity already. People in power often committed countless atrocities and often abused their powers. He was thankful that his daughters had never run into any problems such as those. 

"As soon as I saw what was transpiring, I tried to protect the woman and told him to leave her alone. He yelled at me to mind my own business and tried to attack me. I dodged the blow and he ended up swinging too hard, resulting in him falling down and hurting himself. Due to his powerful connections, he charged me with assault even though I hadn't laid a finger on him. He even forced the woman I was trying to protect, to testify against me. I was shunned from my hometown and was prohibited from returning for a year. The charges were dropped after Shido revealed his true colors." The teenager finished his story. 

It was quiet for a bit as the older man attempted to absorb all the new information. He could tell the boy was being honest, providing a bit of comfort as he hadn't expected such an earnest reply. After sitting there for what felt like ages, the man replied.

"And that's why you're trying to change the political culture at the heart of Japan huh." 

The third-year nodded. 

"I'm glad you told me all of this." The man said as he broke an affectionate grin which the boy mirrored after a bit. 

"We're actually hoping to do more pieces about the inhumane nature of justice in cases like yours. I don't want to force you or anything but, I would love to have your opinion on them as we write them. Would you be interested?"

"Of course. I'm always happy to help." 

"Thank you Ren, this truly has been a pleasure." The older man stuck out his hand for a handshake which the teen shook with vigor.

 **SMASH**! A sound like steel shattering ringed in the teen’s mind as he recalled that this was the noise that he had heard when he made a new social link or ranked a confident up. But, he was confused as to why he was getting a social link after his journey had finished and with his girlfriend’s dad of all the people.

_**I am thou, thou art I.** _

_“W h a t_  
_t h e_  
_f u c k_  
_I g o r”_ Ren thought to himself only to hear his long nose prison master echo in his brain.

**“TRICKSTER, IT SEEMS YOU HAVE SURPASSED MY EXPECTATIONS.”**

_“How are you even talking to me? What?!?_

**“MY MY MY… FORMING FORMIDABLE BONDS EVEN IF YOUR JOURNEY IS OVER… FOR THE MOMENT”**

At this point, the teenager gave up trying to reason whatever the hell was happening and accepted it. He let the voice finish the start of the social link.

  
_**Thou hast acquired a new vow. It shall become the wings of rebellion that breakth thy chains of captivity. With the birth of the Hope Persona, I have obtained the winds of blessing that should lead to freedom and new power..** _

“The Hope persona hmm.” 

The small skirmish inside Ren’s mind ended instantly as he snapped back to reality thanks to Mr. Yoshizawa asking to exchange contact information. After a few moments, it was done. 

Since dinner had already been wrapped up by the time Sumire and her mother returned, the teenager felt quite relieved that everything went so well. 

“Sumireee~, maybe you should take your boyfriend to your room. You can repeat all of the love and affection you just told me about!” Her mother practically fell over from laughing as she said the statement. 

“Mommmmm!” The girl pouted but grabbed her boyfriend's hand and the pair went to her room. 

“You didn’t have to tease her that much Akane.” Shinichi said as he helped put the plates away with her. 

“I know, but they’re so cute together! What did you think of Ren though? Your welcome for giving you some time to have a private chat with him. ” Akane said with a gleam in her eyes. She was delighted with how inseparable the two seemed and she was looking forward to teasing her daughter’s relationship for a **very** long time. 

“He’s honest and has goals as big as Sumire’s, but I still want to get to know him better. I know it might be overprotective but I really want to make sure that he’s going to be there for her. I’m just concerned that...” He ended his words there but the air became a lot thicker. It was obvious that Shinichi was scared and worried about Sumire’s future because he never wanted to see her hurt. He remembered the numerous times she seemed so close to the edge, almost falling in and drowning herself in sorrow. 

“I know…” She gave confirmation of what he was thinking.

“But, I trust him especially when it comes to her and I think you’ll come around to it.” 

Meanwhile, the two lovebirds entered the aforementioned room. It was just as the raven-haired teen remembered. It was neat, orderly but it also had a bit of clumsiness in between. Her gymnastic outfits and jacket still hung near the entrance of the room with an array of hats messily placed on the stand. She had a couple of plants and art depictions of flowers that made her room feel peaceful. The tranquility of it always made the third-year feel at ease but he truly felt carefree when he was with her. 

“Gosh, I didn’t expect all of that to happen.” The redhead sighed earning a laugh from her boyfriend.

“Yeah, I didn’t even get to kiss the Yoshizawa I wanted to.” He responded and then the two broke into a laughing fit before he leaned down to kiss her on the cheek. She still seemed really shy and nervous about being in a relationship so she was easily flustered by her boyfriend showing affection. 

“My mom really liked you, but I don’t know about my dad… I’m sorry if he gave you a bit of a cold shoulder.” She pouted after she uttered the words but he embraced her to make her feel a bit better. 

“You never have to apologize for anything sweetie. His concern was valid and we got along after your mom basically went to interrogate you. He asked about my record and I told him the full story; he was happy to hear the truth about the matter and asked me to talk with him at his job.” 

“Wait really? He wants you to go to Good Morning Japan! Oh my gosh, what if you become famous and fangirls swarm you and take you away. And then-” Sumire’s mind went into doing mental backflips out of stress thinking about the random girls throwing themselves onto her beloved boyfriend. 

"Awww is poor little Sumire jealous~" he said in a teasing way causing her to puff her cheeks in retort. 

"N-no"

He looked into her eyes once more after leaning closer, his eyes touching the frame of her glasses.

"You're so adorable when you're like this."

They stood there for some time, feeling the heat of each other's breath. The redhead's hair matched her cheeks as she struggled to keep her eyes locked with her boyfriend and eventually she had to look down feeling way too embarrassed. 

He pulled her in again, whispering sweet nothings and,

"I love you Sumire." 

Just like that, she had a reminder of the fact that he loved her and only her. She felt unconfident at times, whether it was her appearance or her lack of experience in a relationship. But whenever he spoiled her with those precious words, she felt like she could take on the world. 

"I love you too Ren." The boy always felt like he was missing something. A missing piece to the complex puzzle of his life. But when he looked into her eyes after Maruki's palace, he knew that she was the one.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's a wrap! The end...  
> .  
> .  
> .  
> Nah just kidding. There's still a lot more left to the story but I'm probably gonna have to change the story name and the summary a bit to match where the story is going to be headed. Shout out to my discord friend Tharon for proofreading and editing it since my usual friends ran into some unforeseen circumstances (miss you guys!). Before I get viciously attacked for making Sumire's dad a social link, there's a good reason for it and that is.... well there isn't really but I have a great plan for it along with some zany chapters that are a bit more fun. I might have gone overboard with the sweetness in the chapter but I kind of had a field day with Sumire's parents. Regardless, hope you enjoyed, leave a comment and cya next time!


	5. NO ONE IS GETTING NAKED

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The best birthday he could ask for

After the two reiterated their love for each other through words, they sat down at Sumire’s bed with the redhead leaning on her boyfriend out of fatigue. Ren held onto her as she played with his curls and she yawned a bit after their long day. She was not exactly too tired and she did want to spend a lot more time with him. Every moment with him made her feel so good, she couldn’t help but indulge herself with his presence.

"I'm a little drowsy but I don’t want to sleep yet.” She sighed.

“D-do you think that umm… we could get some co-oofee and.. go back to your h-house?” She asked with a bit of uncertainty and nervousness that Ren found charming.

“Aww, are you asking to spend the night with me, sweetie?” He asks teasingly which always caught her off guard and she beamed after he continued. 

“Of course we can, but we should probably ask your parents. We’ll get some coffee at Leblanc, dress Morgana up again, and go home if that works with you.” She sighed in relief after hearing that.

“I’d love to.” She said simply. After enjoying each other’s presence for a few more moments, the couple went to find Sumire’s mother (or father but they had a feeling that he wasn’t going to be too keen on it) while holding hands. When her mother spotted the two, she was still gushing in delight and squealed.

“You two are soooo cuteeeeeeeeeeeee!” 

“Thanks, Mrs. Yoshizawa. Do you think Sumire could stay the night at my house?” The raven-haired teen said as confident as he usually is. His composure never waivered which was a contrast to a certain someone’s shyness but that’s what made them feel so complete. 

Akane pretended to think for a moment but she was messing with them by taking a minute or two going “HMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM”. After the bit of waiting, she replied as eager as she always did. 

“Absolutely! You two can always do that, but Shinichi probably would disagree but I think he can make an exception just for today. I’ll see you two tomorrow but you have to promise something Ren.” 

“What would that be?” 

She seemed to gleam as she had a mischievous grin on her face. “Wellllll since today was reallly great, I think you should have dinner with the family a lot more often! We’re looking forward to seeing you with Sumire moreeeeeee and you can’t refuse now.” 

He smiled, “It’s a deal then, thank you, Mrs. Yoshizawa.”

“Thanks, mom.”

“No problem honey but remember that your father and I are a little too young for grandkids right now so don’t do anything toooooo funnn okay?” 

“Mommmmmmm!” The younger Yoshizawa groaned while Ren just chuckled. Her mother was certainly some character but he was glad to see that he trusted her and more so, trusted Sumire. 

“I’ll see you two later but could you bring ‘Morgana’ with you next time? Pets are adorable so I’d like to meet the cat that can destroy a room like that. “ 

The third-year nodded a yes before walking with his girlfriend downstairs. 

“Oh no, I should pack some things for tonight. I don’t want to be underprepared for anything” 

Ren gave her a sly grin and commented 

“Oh?”

She then realized how suggestive it sounded and turned into her tomato like appearance before she tried to reword her statement. 

"I j-just mean i-if we sleep in the sa-same bed, and a toothbrush, and some extra clothes and umm-" 

“I’m kidding Sumi, I’ll wait for you outside. See you soon love.”

The girl in question went back upstairs to pack some necessities and some other items into her bag while the boy went outside. Time passed by so quickly that it was a bit darker but the sun was not entirely down. He checked the time, only to see that it was 8:10 which meant that Leblanc should have been ready. 

The boy looked up at the sky to see all the eviscerating details. The gleam in the sky caught his eye, with the sort of shine that one could only find in art. The orangish colors gave a vibrant feel to the details of the night. He took a deep breath just to enjoy the scenery. 

Every day felt like he was doing so many different things and just experiencing normal everyday life at the same time. It was quite different than his Phantom Thieve days since he didn’t have the stress of stealing hearts on his mind at all times. It was exhausting back then even if the journey was worth it at the end. Even if he had to resume their thieving operations one day, he wouldn’t really mind it. The bonds he made with all of his friends and confidants would always remain with him. However, the future always weighed on his mind but there was a different time to dwell on those matters. He messed with the black curls in front of his eyes a bit before he heard his girlfriend’s footsteps approach behind him. 

“Ready to head back?” He said turning around. 

“Mhmm! I think I have everything for tonight. Toothbrush, snacks, my teddy bea-” She was interrupted by Ren faking emotional anguish for an important decree..

“Ah, you wound me Sumi! Why would you need a teddy bear -” He leaned in closer to her to finish the sentence with a whisper.

“When you can cuddle with me” He finished off seductively just to see her reaction.

She froze up just like and was stunned for a couple of minutes trying to get her mind to start working again. The closest thing was her stuttering i’s for a bit but the third-year held her hand as they made their way to Leblanc. She clung to his arm immediately and rested her head against him while they moved forward. All these little moments made her so happy and she treasured each of them in her heart. She sometimes felt selfish that she was taking up his time but he always reassured her that every minute he spent with her was a minute that he cherished as well. 

After about five minutes, he checked to see if she could talk normally now. 

“Are you feeling better now?” Ren asked as he ran his fingers through her ruby hair. 

“I think so… But about the cuddling thing... “ She took a pause to gain some confidence for the next part. 

“I w-wouldn’t m-mind i-if we did that…” She said as nervously as she often did. 

“Only if you want to sweetie, I don’t want you to force yourself to do anything uncomfortable, okay?” He said sweetly as they were almost close to their destination. 

“Okay" She whispered as soft as the wind blowing a somber breeze. They arrived at the cafe to see the lights dark but Ren had a key for the place with him at all times. 

"Ready for some coffee Sumi?" He asked as he opened the door. The cafe was pitch black and they couldn't see a thing since it did get a bit late now that they were back. The light switch was right there which Ren was about to turn but his girlfriend unclung from his arm. 

"Mhmm, but let me get the light switch." She said with a lot more energy than before. 

"Be my guest sweetie." 

She went to the light switch but before she flicked it on, she looked back towards Ren.

"Ren?" 

He looked back at her, barely able to see the silhouette of her face.

"Yes?" 

She smiled and then the lights blasted the cafe with radiance as there were a multitude of shouts.

.

.

.

**"SUPRISEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!"**

The crowd of voices screamed as Ren was shocked. He didn't have a physical reaction at first since he had grown accustomed to a lack of reacting in his life. But with this one, he just smiled at his girlfriend and everyone there. 

Yusuke, Ann, Morgana, Ryuji, Futaba, Sojiro, Makoto, Sae, and Haru were all there with their gifts and cake at hand. The entire cafe was decorated with food, pictures, posters, and items that looked like it took all day to set up. They were all waiting for him to arrive there, they made time out of their busy schedules to be there, for him. His girlfriend had a strong smile and Ren swore that she could be an angel with her appearance. He hadn't expected any of this but god was he happy. To see all of his friends all together after so long… He would've said it was a dream come true but that notion no longer had any meaning to him. This wasn't a dream come true but it was life, and damn did it feel good. 

"Hahaha and you're still not even phased dude! You're something else ahahaha!" Ryuji said as he floored himself in laughter. 

"You truly are a spectacle to behold. Oh my, your features are even more robust! I must paint this!!!" The artist seemed to almost moan the words.

"Oh god please don't ask him to strip Yusuke. This is a family establishment." Ann groaned as she had a flashback to the time she was supposed to 

"Oh please, no one's ever in here." Futaba chimed in.

"Hey, I can't have you dissing my regulars like that." Sojiro said as he took off his hat.

"The only regulars are Ren and me though!” The cat exclaimed.

“Mona-chan that’s not very nice." Haru said as she softly chastised the cat.

"It's hard to believe it's been half a year since we've all been together." Makoto recounted 

"Life certainly has been time consuming." Sae recounted.

It was as if nothing had changed between any of them. Their friendship hadn't gotten weaker but it felt even stronger now that they were unable to see each other for a while. 

"Happy birthday Ren." His girlfriend said as she had a cheeky smile on her face for the first time in her life. He hugged her immediately because he realized her role in all of this. She was the one to lead him here which means that she was in on the surprise. 

"Did you set all of this up?" He asked, feeling her hair in his face. She seemed so relieved that it all worked out that she almost purred into his ear. 

“Mhmm! I wanted to make it one that you won’t forget and I thought this was the best thing I could do. But I almost messed up and i should’ve invited more people and then there wasn’t a good enough cake that I liked and I didn’t know what flavour you would like and I’m sorr-” Her apologetic muttering was stopped by her boyfriend squeezing her a little bit with a hug.

“Please don’t apologize Sumi.” He pulled away a little bit to look into her loving eyes while giving her the warmest smile he could ever bear.

  
“I love this so much. You’re the best girlfriend ever.” He kissed her on the lips with her expression turning from shock to enjoyment in a matter of seconds. She closed her eyes with the contact and felt like she was in pure bliss. 

"LOOKING COOL REN!" Morgana shouted as he scurried across to the couple. The two broke off the kiss after what felt like an eternity of being in their own world for the moment. 

"Dang dude, I didn't know you were dating Yoshizawa. Glad to see you happy though but you better not abandon your bros!" Ryuji shouted from the background. 

"Ah you were unaware of their blossoming love!? I was honored with the knowledge of their affectionate nature with one another. Now, the only thing I need to learn is the nature of Ren's nude body!" The bluenette exclaimed even louder.

"N-nnn-nnnnnude?" Sumire questioned as she became the beloved blush tomato that the raven-haired teen loved.

"We'll save the nude topic for another day but yes, Sumire and I have been dating for a while now. I love her above all else." He held her hand as they made their way to the whole group and sat down with the gigantic chocolate/vanilla hybrid monstrosity of a cake. 

"You guysss are sooo cuteeeee awwwww! Jeez I had no idea though, you're really good at hiding stuff Ren!" Ann said half teasingly. 

"I genuinely had no idea about it either." Haru said with a chuckle.

"Guess Ren-ren has some moves huh?" the blond delinquent said with excitement.

"I certainly didn't envision it either." The younger Nijima added while sipping coffee.

"Heh, you should've seen how much they hung out at Leblanc. I had to listen tooooo allll their conversations there instead of Neo-Feathermen ughhh. Speaking of which, WE STILL HAVE TO GO OUT ON SATURDAY TO GET THE NEW LIMITED FIGURES!" Futaba said while excitedly jumping up and down. 

"All right, all right we'll go get them on Saturday. But let's get back to celebrating someone's special day." Sojiro said as he patted Futaba's back to return her to normal energy levels. 

The birthday boy took a look at the happy faces of his friends and it just seemed a bit surreal that they were all there. 

"This cake looks like it could eat me." The Phantom Thieves leader deadpanned. However, his beloved took it to heart and didn’t realize that he was kidding. 

"You don't like it?" His redheaded girlfriend said somberly. Whenever the boy saw his bespeckled girlfriend's mood drop, he felt a pain in his heart and he went to bring up her spirits. 

"I think it's perfect sweetie." He reassured her even more.

"Thank you for making this my best birthday I've ever had." He said while taking both of her hands. She seemed much more relieved and at ease after the hand holding but still felt tense in front of all of their friends since they did just learn about their relationship. 

  
"Can you blow out the candles with me?" She nodded a yes for confirmation and the two stood up to be able to see the top of the cake. It's chocolate-vanilla exterior had phenomenal frosting all over and the top had 17 candles representing Ren's age. Under the candles, it had frosting that showed a small frosted picture version of everyone present at the party.

Taking a big huff, the two blew it out together with their hands still interlocked. The crowd cheered as Ren got a knife to cut it up into pieces but did so unevenly considering the fact that everyone had different preferences for how much they would eat. Ryuji would take the one with the most frosting, Futaba would take multiple tiny slices, Ann would most likely take everyone else's pieces, Haru would eat a normal amount, Makoto would eat one out of politeness, Yusuke wouldn't eat (when does he ever eat), and the two adults wouldn't indulge in the cake eating part. He was counting on his girlfriend to finish the cake if needed considering how powerful her appetite was (which he loved to bits). 

"YEAH THERE WE GO! NOW ITS TIME TO CELEBRATE!" Ryuji shouted as he drank his full glass of soda? Ren hoped it was soda but it looked indistinguishable than the alcohol Sae was drinking. 

"Hmmm Sakura-san?" The aforementioned man turned around with Haru's mention of him. 

"Is that bag of coffee beans being thrown away?" 

"I'm afraid so, I over-ordered and forgot about them for a while so they're no good any more." 

"Do you think I could use them for a bit before you throw it out?" 

He gave a confused look but still gave his answer "Sure."

"Thank you." Haru took the bag outside and for some reason, only Ren was the one to notice sounds that were similar to someone beating up a training dummy. 

_"I should probably check to make sure she isn't killing those beans butttt"_ His thoughts were interrupted by the sight of his beloved cutting a gigantic piece of cake and instantly devouring it in a second. There was a bit of chocolate on her crimson lips which sparked a good idea in the boy's head. 

"Hey Sumi," The third-year said mischievously.

"Mmm?" She replied, her mouth still full of cake.

"You got something on your lips" He leaned in and their lips touched again and now the crumbs were gone. 

"I'll be back in a bit sweetie, enjoy the cake" He said, letting her digest their numerous kisses and the cake alike. 

He went to go see what his Ryuji and Yusuke were doing as the blonde was currently on the table shouting. 

“HEY REN CHECK OUT THESE MOVES! MY LEGS A LOT BETTER SO I CAN FINALLY BUST IT OUT!” Ryuji then vividly started breakdancing on one of the cafe’s tables with a spin move coming from his head vigorously standing on the wooden exterior.

“Ah yes, exquisite Ryuji! I did not foresee such a stupendous sight, I must let my hands guide me to the truth!” The bluenette declared as he got out his art supplies from absolutely nowhere. 

“WAIT YUSUKE PAINT HIM NUDE!” Futaba shrieked from across the room.

“WHAT!?!? NO ONE'S GETTING NUDE IN HERE!” Sojiro added with a shout. 

“Too late, Morgana already ruined his cat clothes so we had to take away his cat sweater. He also ruined my clothes.” Ann complained as her shirt was soaked with soda and milk from the cat knocking over the respective glass and bowl. 

  
“Morgana, for disturbing the peace and tranquility of this party, I have no other choice but to put you in kitty jail. Put your paws in the cuff.” Makoto demanded as she pulled out a pair of custom made handcuffs for cats. 

“WHAT! NO WAY, THIS ISN’T FAIR! REN HELPPPPPPPPPPP” The cat squealed as he made a run for it but Ryuji’s breakdancing eventually went from the table to the only exit of the cafe. 

“OH YEAHHHHHHH, I'M DOING THIS PHANTOM THIEFFFFF STYLEEEEEEEEEE!” 

“RYUJI SHUT UP YOU’RE GONNA GET US ARRESTED!” Ann shouted while still drenched. 

“OH MYYYYY…. ANN YOU MUST DISCARD THOSE FABRICS AND LET ME SEE YOUR BREATHTAKING BODY!” 

“NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!” 

“Oh dear lord. Hey kid,” Ren turned around to see coffee dad Sojiro grabbing his head in confusion and pain amid all the discord. 

“All the presents for your birthday are up in the attic. You can take a look at it tomorrow morning but for now, just enjoy the party all right? 

He nodded a simple yes before looking at the crazy scene before his eyes. Morgana had been captured and put in the chains limiting his movement with Futaba messing with him. For some strange reason, Makoto and Sae were doing it just like a court case and were decreeing his crimes and punishments. Oh, and Ryuji was still breakdancing with Yusuke attempting to paint him but the bluenette ran out of parchment, opting to use one of Sojiro’s tables as an alternative. 

“YES YES YES, CONTINUE WITH YOUR FORM OF EXPRESSION!” 

Eh, even Ren gave in and started giving moral support. 

“GO RYUJI, GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!” The ravenette shouted.

“YEAH MAN, LET'S PUMP IT UP A NOTCH! WATCH ME FLIP ONTO THE TABLE!” The blonde teen took a few steps back while dancing and sprinted full speed towards the table adjacent to Yusuke’s art-filled one and attempted to front flip onto it. However, thanks to Ryuji falling asleep in most of his classes, he did not calculate his own speed and velocity nor did he realize he jumped way too high. 

**BAMMMMMMM!** The table broke into thousands of pieces and it went silent for at least a minute, even Haru popped her head back in before going back to beating the absolute shit out of those coffee beans. Did anyone know why she was so pissed and taking it out on some precious beans? Nope. Were they also scared of her doing the same to them? Yes. 

“WHY?!?” The cafe owner pleaded but also yelled with a bit of frustration. Little did he know, all of these gatherings usually devolved into some chaos gladiator battle royal full of chaos. 

“Well, this certainly is a sight.” Sae said simply while sipping her alcohol and hearing her younger sister read off the list of crimes for the cat. 

“Let’s see, you broke multiple glasses of soda, milk, and water. You also asked Ann to make an ‘Onlyfans.com’ which according to Futaba is a- 

“IT'S A PLACE FOR ANN TO MAKE SOME REAL GOOD MONEY! DO YOU KNOW HOW MANY OTHER PEOPLE ARE AS DESPERATE AS MORGANA! WE COULD BECOME RICH!” Futaba chimed in and laughed like a maniac. 

Ann quickly googled whatever the hell that was and then sneered in disgust. 

“Morgana! I’m not making one, that’s super weirdddd. If it makes you feel better though, I’m getting a cat soon so maybe you can finally get a kitty girlfriend!” 

“Ann, are you making our cats hook up?” Ren asked with a monotone expression.

“Yup! Just think about how cool that would be. You and Morgana can come over to America to see my cat and I. While those two go do cat things, I can beat you in actual 8ball and show off my amazing acting career!”

“First, we already have that in Kichijoji. Second, Morgana and I are gonna become the best actors in the world which means that you'll have to come here to hang out with us. Besides, I can’t imagine Morgana staying sane throughout a flight.” Ren said with his suave confidence as usual. 

“HEY! I CAN STAY CALM DURING RIDES, I'LL PROVE IT ONCE I'M OUT OF THESE CUFFS!” The cat cried out. 

While that argument was still going, he returned to his girlfriend who had managed to eat half of the cake remaining which left about a slice or two left. Everyone else had already eaten and he was glad it didn't go to waste at least. 

"Hey,"

"Hey" She cooed as she snuggled up against him when he sat next to her. 

"This has been amazing, thank you again for all of this." He thanked her as he ran his fingers through her hair again, each strand as crimson as her face at the moment. 

"Do you want to head home for real this time though? I was looking forward to some alone time with you~" He whispered the last part just as flirty as he would've liked. 

"M-me too" He grabbed her hand and twirled her as they got up. Her elegance, her grace, and most of all, she was still flustered all over her face. 

"Thank you guys for the best birthday ever. I'll see you all later-." 

**BAMMMMMMMMM**! Before Ren could finish his mini-speech, Ryuji had broken another table with his killer dance moves and Yusuke looked to be having an artistic orgasm. 

"STOP BREAKING THINGS!" Sojiro demanded as he waved a broomstick in frustration. 

**CRASHHHHHH**! Haru had suplexed the bag of coffee beans through the window of the cafe which launched the beans all over the place. 

"Oh, my apologies. I didn't intend for it to go so far." Haru pleasantly apologized but she said it with a cold glare towards the beans. 

"WE'RE TWO FOR TWO, WE NEED TO BREAK ONE MORE THING TO GET THREE STRIKES." Futaba shouted. The energy levels were still getting higher but the boy felt Sumire's body exhausted and tired from the day. She had been planning everything throughout the day and coordinating what Ren was doing thanks to Futaba and Morgana. He gave a nod to everyone before departing and he had a feeling that he would catch up with each of them individually sooner than later. 

"Let's get out of here before they burn the place down." He said as they exited through the door, hopping over a Ryuji. 

"They wouldn't do that, would they?" 

"Sweetie, you have a lot to learn about these guys. Did I tell you about the time Yusuke, Ryuji, and I tried to bring an ice cream truck into the metaverse?" 

"What? Wait did it work?" 

"Yeah but then we tried to use our personas on it and we blew it up. It wasn't… the brightest of ideas." 

She giggled a bit and the two made their way back to Ren's home. 

"What made you want to plan all of this by the way?" He asked.

She pondered for a bit, to find words well enough to describe her motives such as her undying love for him. 

"W-well you made me so happy on Valentine's Day, and White Day. I wanted to surprise you back and try to be a good girlfriend since you're the best b-boyfriend in the world. I was so scared that something was gonna go wrong though." Her mood dropped as soon as she finished but he immediately went to lift it.

"Everything went perfectly Sumi, and now I get to end my night with the person I love more than the entire world." 

It worked. They entered the house and she gave him a quick peck on the cheek. She had tried to gain the courage to reciprocate all the intimacy the ravenette had showed her and this was the first time she had been able to kiss him. He smiled and they made their way upstairs. 

They were about to enter Ren's room but he took a step back. 

"I'll give you some privacy to change into more comfortable clothes. I'm gonna change in the other bedroom and sleep there but tell me when you're done so I can kiss you good night." He went to turn around but her sweet voice stopped him.

"C-can we sleep to-together?" She asked with a bit of a stutter. She wasn't used to these kind of things but she wanted to try it and she wanted to be with her beloved for the night. 

"Sure sweetie, I'll let you change first though. Let me know when you're done." She stepped in and he entered the other bedroom where he had extra clothes in the drawer. Changing out of his dinner/party attire, he changed into black sweat-shorts and a black t-shirt. 

He took a deep look into the mirror to see his eyes. Sometimes, he just stared at his own reflection. Maybe it was to see if something would reach out to him. He was always curious about if he had any inner demons or struggles that he hid away from himself, deep enough to a point where he would not notice anything. Eyes often told stories that most people would not notice. 

After washing his face in the bathroom, he heard his girlfriend's voice. 

"Y-you can come in now." She said barely loud enough for him to hear. She didn't have the strongest voice but she tried her best. 

He walked in to see her wearing a white long sleeve shirt and short black tights. Her glasses were on the table and she had something in her hands, it was a small frame of a photograph. 

"I-i wanted to give this to you when we were all alone. Happy Birthday Ren." He walked behind her and hugged her from behind so that they could both look at the photo. 

It was a delightful photo of them at the school dance almost a year ago, slow-dancing together with their faces in pure harmony. Sumire's head was leaned against his chest and both their eyes were closed, it was as if they were all alone in their own world with only the comfort of each other. 

"I love it." He said simply and gave her numerous kisses on her cheek. 

The ravenette put the gift on his stand and the girl got into the bed, wrapping herself in the sheets. 

He turned off the lights and got into the bed with her and she wrapped her body around his. 

"Mmm you're warm" She muttered while feeling at ease against his body. He chuckled and pulled her in even closer, their breaths synchronizing with each passing moment.

"Much better than your teddy bear hm?"

"It's not as snuggable as you." She remarked softly to his pleasure. 

"Good night sweetie." He kissed her forehead and she dozed off in the arms of her lover. It felt so good to have her with him and he felt like he could sleep in peace for the first time in a while. It wasn't that he was plagued by nightmares but he had so much on his mind at all times. He always concerned himself with the future, what he had to do to achieve whatever ambitions he had in mind. But holding the one he loved dearest, he only had one concern, her.

While she took light breathes in her sleep, Ren just enjoyed the peace before falling into Hypno's clutches. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And with that, that is the conclusion of the technical title of this work. I originally started this as a way of getting back into writing thanks to someone convincing me but I just ran into more and more ideas along the way so I'm hopefully gonna continue this. I was actually surprised that only one person noticed that I didn't have Sumire wish Ren happy birthday at all throughout the last chapter (solely because of this!) so shoutout to YasuRasu for seeing through it. There's a lot of foreshadowing in all of my chapters for what some of the future might have in store. I'm actually going to try writing some more angsty feely sort of stuff in the future because I really wanted to try my hand at it after reading Eggsumi's work cause Jesus that always hits me in the feels. It'll likely just be a one-off thingy for one chapter and it'll still have some of my usual comedy/sweet moments in there. For any of you that don't understand the onlyfans.com joke, it's basically saying that Morgana would pay a subscription fee to see his Lady Ann in more "suggestive' clothing. It's a website where people pay to see other people nude. I'm not gonna comment on it because it's not my area to judge anyone but figured it could be used as a joke. I might have rambled on a bit too long but anyways, thanks for reading and leave a comment! For real, the comments help me write a lot more.


	6. Appetite

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> SUPLEEEEEXXXXXXX

The lovely bluebirds were tweeting outside as the sunlight filtered into the windows of Ren’s apartments, revealing a gleam that could blind anyone if they glanced at it directly. Thankfully, he knew that sunlight was his worst enemy when sleeping and kept his bed at a safe distance from the evil sunglass-wearing yellow monstrosity known as the Sun. 

  
The ravenette felt well-rested lying with his girlfriend for the night as she still clung to his body as a makeshift pillow but he certainly was not complaining. Yawning a bit, he opened his eyes to her beautiful figure nuzzled up against his chest, her breath still warm as ever. He figured that she was still exhausted and tried not to move so he wouldn’t disturb her slumber. 

_ “I should probably check to make sure I responded to any texts I got yesterday. I think I got one from Toranosuke that I glanced over but didn’t fully comprehend.” He decreed in his mind. _

He peeked his head away from his girlfriend for a brief moment to try to remember where the heck he placed his phone before they slept and spotted it on the counter on Sumire’s side. She looked so peaceful sleeping so he tried his best not to disturb her as he reached his arm over to grab it. 

“Mmm” she murmured in her sleep and he quickly got the phone to return to the natural position he was in before disturbing her. Her smile returned as soon as she felt Ren’s body all to herself again in her mind even though she wasn’t awake. He held her a bit closer and went through his messages to see three messages, two of which he did not even read. He looked at Yoshida’s text and responded with the plans for their debate with some Diet Board members and looked at the next one…. 

It was Shinichi and it looked to be a longer message than he was expecting… Adopting a more serious expression before opening it, he took a deep breath before reading it. 

**Shinichi Yoshizawa: Hello Ren. Since Sumire will be staying at your home tonight, please remove any pain medication and sleep medicine as soon as possible and call if she is having a nightmare or any sort of distress. As much as I was delighted with meeting you, I still do not feel comfortable with the idea of Sumire staying the night at your home without Akane and I making sure that she is safe at all times. I hope you understand.**

Ren felt his body tense up at the end of the message. The implications were still deep in his mind as he recollected how broken she was when she learned her true identity after being brainwashed by Maruki. Her eyes were filled with tears that were only revealed to him after they were alone together. He remembered her freezing as everyone was leaving but he stayed with her after the thieves made it out of the palace. They embraced as she cried everything out and made futile attempts to tell Ren that he didn’t like her now that she was Sumire. 

She wept that he was friends with Kasumi and that he would never like her because she wasn’t as good as her sister. He remembered looking into her eyes and confirming that he wanted to get to know  **Sumire** , he wanted to talk to the girl that he had spent so much time with. The girl courageous enough to stand up as herself now. Although she needed some guidance on the last part, he reassured her that he’d always be there for her. She felt so relieved that someone was going to be there for her as she was going through this, especially someone that she held dearly in her heart already. 

Her watery eyes were dried up with his shirt but he was glad that she was doing better. The thought of what she was going through when she felt like she had no one to lean onto… 

No one to hold onto for comfort. It….

  
  
  
  


Scared him. 

  
  
  


More than anything else. 

Seeing her figure weeping, searching for something to end it. Her hands holding onto a bottle of substances that could end her life within a moment. God, how it scared him. Not being able to see her, not being able to talk to her because she wasn’t there any longer. Seeing her lying on the ground, lifeless. 

His skin turned colder as his body tried to comprehend the sudden shift in emotions and mindset. He took another deep breath as he made another attempt to compose himself. 

_ “She’s never going to be alone ever again. She has friends, a family, and you.”  _ He thought in his head as he went to respond to her father. 

**Ren Amamiya: I understand Mr. Yoshizawa. There aren’t any of those dangers present in my home and Sumire seems to be doing well. She’s still asleep and she did not seem to have any nightmares.**

**Shinichi Yoshizawa: That is good to hear, please have her back home by eleven. On a different note, are you free in the afternoon? I’m hoping to discuss your false charges and your experiences throughout it. It will be completely confidential.**

**Ren Amamiya: I’ll have her back by then and I should be free at 3 pm if that works with your schedule.**

**Shinichi Yoshizawa: It does, thank you.**

“ _ Well, it's progress I suppose.”  _ Her father still seemed cold to Ren but the teen could tell that he was making sure Sumire was safe because he was worried about her. The past always haunts the present but it’s up to those living in the present to move towards the future without being stuck.

He checked the time to see that they still had another two hours until Sumire had to go home and his serious expression turned soft now that he had wrapped up the conversation with her father. Maybe he’d open up and be a bit warmer to Ren once he got to know him? It was strange that he was a confidant even though their Phantom Thieving was done for good this time. But Igor did mention something about the journey ending for only the moment… 

He waved off the premonitions of what may lay ahead and returned his attention back to the redhead breathing heavily against him. She seemed to be regaining some sort of consciousness as she slowly opened up her eyes. 

“Mmm is it morning already?” She asked, still a bit groggy.

“Mhm, did you have good dreams?” He asked with a meaning behind it only to him. He usually slept quite lightly thanks to his Phantom Thieving days and would have noticed if she had gotten up or had any sort of frantic movement. The only thing he couldn’t tell was whether or not she was okay from whatever she saw in her dreams. She didn’t want to pry into specifics but needed to see if she had pleasant ones nonetheless.

“Yup! Everything feels so good when I’m with you.” She said closing her eyes again and holding onto him. He laughed a bit before she asked, 

“C-can we stay like this a bit longer?” 

“Of course we can. I’ll make breakfast a bit later as payback for how amazing yesterday was though. I hope you don’t mind curry for breakfast though.” 

The girl felt electrified after hearing that because she loved his cooking and especially the coffee but he did ban her from more than one cup a day when they first got together. He said that he didn’t want her to get addicted to caffeine like he was. She pouted after hearing that but he said he’d help her find a new addiction to which she asked, 

“What would that be senpai?” 

Ren smirked before leaning into her ear and whispering

“Me.” 

Immediately giving her a peck on the cheek, he went back to making her a cup of coffee while she tried to calm down her rumbling heart. His flirtatious nature was only reserved for her and he found so many different ways of making her flustered but she loved every part of it. 

After reminiscing about the countless times he stole her heart, she moved her head above his chest to his face before kissing his lips of her own accord. She finally felt confident enough to do it herself after the numerous times he showed her the affection she craved so badly. 

He looked surprised to see his usually shy girlfriend confident enough to initiate the lip-locking but Sumire went back to going against his chest instantly as her bashful nature returned with her cherry-like face. 

“What brought this on sweetie?”

“Y-you.” She softly whispered.

While she rested upon his body once more, he took a look around his room once again. It was certainly quite spacious with all of the gifts he had gotten from his friends when he originally left his hometown. Yusuke’s Desire and Hope painting was the centerpiece of his wall on the left side along with Hifumi’s mega-sized Kosha Piece right under it. On the right, his desk lies with the fountain pen he received from Yoshida which he used to write notes, speeches, and ideas. The calculator he got from Makoto was adjacent to the pen and a notebook from a brand that Goro always used to use. He often tried different recipes with Sojiro’s notes with the notebook but made sure that he kept the original intact. He fondly remembered the cafe owner’s words whenever he devised new ingredients as a substitute 

_ “Make it your own.”  _

On the very first drawer of his desk, he had neatly organized Mishima’s documentary plans, Ann's magazine, Ohya’s interview notes, and Futaba’s promise list. He tried to talk to the bluenette about anything regarding their old thieving days or just to hang out with him and talk about their last year in high school. It was hard to digest at first that it was only the two left since Ann and Ryuji both left Shujin for good. They were the only ones in their year that knew about what transpired throughout the year. 

Ohya had written countless articles on exposing different corrupt individuals and moved out of Tokyo to pursue different leads all over the world. According to Lala, she still texted her for alcohol to be sent to the accommodations she was going to be staying at. She usually texted Ren often about what she was working on and asked him for advice on how she should go about investigating certain people like a corrupt politician that stole legal documents from other politicians. He told her to set a trap up that would catch him in the act and force him to admit it on camera. It worked and she thanked him at the bottom of many of her articles. He usually read them and texted her at the end, praising her progress.

Meanwhile, Futaba had been doing really well in school even if it was a particular challenge to her at first. He told her to treat it like a video game and complete it 100 percent with all the sidequests being making friends, joining a club or two, and hanging out with said friends. Sojiro always looked so proud of her, being outgoing but she still loved being home at the same time. He looked back at the promise list to see how far she had come and always felt a bit less stressed knowing that his sister was growing up. Even if they weren’t related by blood or legality, they’d always be like siblings. 

  
  
  
  
  
  


On his desk, he had placed his wallet which carried a number of things including Sae’s business card, in case he ever needed her help. His uniform still held the Gecko Pin he received from Iwai and his counter had the sports watch he got from Ryuji. Morgan's scarf still hung over his dresser. Haru's handkerchief was always in his pant pocket which he utilized quite often. His room certainly felt like his own for once rather than the devoid, lifeless room he had in his hometown. 

RUMBLE

Sumire's stomach growled as she grew flushed with embarrassment while her beloved just laughed. 

"Looks like I'll get started on breakfast. I'll let you get dressed for the day sweetie, see you in a bit." He gave her one last embrace before he got up. 

  
  


Seeing her pout after her human body pillow departed the bed, he wrapped her in the blankets and kissed her on the forehead. 

"Just to make sure you stay warm for a big longer." He comforted her as the smile he valued so highly, returned. 

He went into the bathroom and washed his face as usual. His skincare routine was relatively simple and kept the usual glister lingering on his face. While he waited to let it air dry, he checked his messages only for his eyes to squint at the one that came this morning. It was from his old guidance counselor.

**Takuto Maruki: Hey Ren, it’s been a while since we’ve last seen each other.**

**Ren: It has been a while since our fist fight and the ride you gave me to the station. How have you been?**

**Maruki: Well, it certainly does feel like I’m a different person thanks to the change of heart. It has taken me a while to really see the effects for myself but on a different matter, are you free later at night?**

**Ren: I think so, what’s the occasion?**

**Maruki: I’m leaving Japan and I don’t think I’ll be back for a very long time so I was hoping to say goodbye to you in person.**

**Ren: I see. Well I’ll save all the emotional stuff for when we meet up, your snacks will be dearly missed.**

**Maruki: Hahaha, good to see your humor is the same as ever! Do you mind if we meet at this address?**

**Ren: Sure, see you then.**

Ren took a look at the location, it was a garden hangout spot that wasn’t too popular and it was near a University that seemed familiar to the ravenette. 

_ “I wonder why exactly he’s moving. I suppose I can ask him then and there.” _

The two had their differences in the dream world as the teen refused to let Maruki (or anyone else for the matter), control their lives and shut down his proposal of living in his utopia as soon as he asked. His gut wrenched remembering the moments after though. Seeing Sumire angry, hurt, and sad at the prospect of being her true self. Fighting the girl as she desperately tried to take him down so she could live her life as a lie. 

He couldn’t look into her eyes without wanting to tear his insides apart. Those ruby eyes looked into his gray ones with a look of pain and fright. She didn't want to do this but it was fight or flight mode for her. As she went to attack him, Ren knew that… 

  
  
  
  


He couldn’t hurt  **her.**

  
  
  
  
  


He could have easily ended the fight with curse attacks or switched to a persona that would have taken her out without a problem but he couldn’t do that. Ren took every single hit she was giving in a desperate attempt to reach out to her.

  
  


It didn’t work.

  
  


He eventually tired her out by lasting through her attacks until she stopped in exhaustion. She almost fell down but he rushed to her side and placed her down gently. 

“You clown, you easily could have ended the fight without any reservations.” Akechi growled at him. 

“Our fight isn't with her Goro.” He responded as he got up to face the brown-haired therapist. 

The next few moments were ones that Ren hated to recall. Maruki had used his persona to hurt Sumire, knock her out, and force her persona to fight them. Goro had never seen his rival express pure anger in his short time with him until that day. Then again, none of Ren’s friends were ever emotionally hurt and physically incapicated like  **this.**

After the two beat her persona, they were joined by the other Phantom Thieves and rescued Sumire for the time, quickly retreating to plan their next move. Ren remembered the rest of the day without any problems, and he was happy to spend the next few days helping the redhead find her true self. Her true self… 

That was who he loved so dearly. 

When they did eventually fight Maruki, he didn’t feel any remorse for the beatdown. Hell, he enjoyed the eventual boxing match with him. Even if it was only a few punches, they both put so much emotion and power into it that they were exhausted for the next week. He couldn’t really forgive the man for what he put them through but maybe he could resolve their issues with this goodbye. 

After putting his phone into his pocket, he went into the kitchen and got started on breakfast. He got out a plate that he got specifically for his girlfriend. Considering her powerful appetite, he made sure it was two times bigger than normal plates beforehand. It was his usual curry breakfast and he had used some of the vegetables Haru had sent him the other day. Throughout their numerous discussions on perfecting gardening, Ren was now a vegetable growing master. Nonetheless, they still sent each other crops twice a week as quality insurance of sorts. 

Putting his ingredients together and letting it consolidate in the melting pot, he stirred the pot until he heard a distinct cat pawing the door. 

“Rennnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn, let meeeeeeeee innnnnnnnnnnn.” Morgana appealed outside the home.

The teen obliged and went to the door to let his feline companion enter. 

“How was kitty jail?” The ravenette joked about the cat's misfortune.

"They made me stay with Futaba and she wouldn't stop button mashing me. My fur will never be the same again." The cat responded and pretended to shiver. 

"Well, that's what you get for being a nasty crime cat." 

He leaned down to pick up Morgana who hopped into his shoulder. 

"Soooooo, did you enjoy the partyyy?" 

"Of course, probably the first birthday party I've had that's been that chaotic and fun. Is Leblanc still standing?" 

"I can't say, Futaba kidnapped me as soon as you left; she kept cackling about something too."

"Sounds like her. Anyways, Sumire is still in bed so it's up to us to make breakfast."

"Aye aye captain! Wait still in bed?!?" The cat exclaimed in confusion.

"She stayed over last night since it was pretty late."

"Mhmm sure Rennn, I'm sure that's the only reason." The cat responded teasingly. 

"Oh no Morgana, it'd be a shame if you got button mashed two days in a row." The sarcasm was dripping with the teen's remark but the two just began to laugh wholeheartedly. 

After stirring the pot and adding some apples to maximize the flavor, the two had finished cooking. He served the bowls for all three of them and went to make coffee. He usually made it warm but he felt iced coffee was a good way to kick off today. 

After having everything ready, he went to see if Sumire was ready for breakfast. He knocked on his bedroom door first to see if she was still in there. 

"Foods ready sweetie, we even have our own Morgana back to join us. Almost ready?"

"Mhmm" The girl opened the door, revealing her bespeckled self with her hair tied up. She always looked amazing in Ren's eyes but she felt unconfident about her appearance. 

He stared at her for a bit, just taking in her breathtaking face and those gorgeous eyes. 

"R-ren?" She asked while looking down in embarrassment... 

"Oh sorry, just can't get enough of how beautiful you are."

They locked hands with the girl beaming in delight. 

Her tone was soft and her words were simple. "T-thank you."

He leaned into her ear, "Only telling the truth sweetie." He gave her a quick peck once more and her cherry-ridden face returned. Oh how she loved his affection so dearly. Every time she felt him, whether it was his lips or his face, goosebumps covered her body. She felt as if she was in utter bliss with him each passing second, and she wouldn't ever give the sensation up. 

They made their way to the kitchen with the curry's aroma filling the room with delicacy and spice. Morgana had devoured his portion of the food and was eying the other two bowls quite eagerly. 

"It's about timeee you guys cameeee. You lovebirds take wayyy too long for everything!" The black fur-ball declared. 

"Sorry to keep you waiting, Morgana." The redhead apologized.

"I'm surprised you didn't spill anything while we were away." The teen countered his favorite fuzzball. 

"Hey! That only happens twice a week, I think?"

"I'd say twice a day but let's start eating. Let me refill your bowl so you don't attack Sumire's."

He leaned into the cat's ear. "She's scary if you take her food." 

The cat froze, he remembered how vicious the girl was in the metaverse and he would hate to be the target of her anger. 

“Y-you wouldn’t let her hurt me though, right Ren?” He uttered out in despair. 

He shrugged, “Welllll, I can’t exactly say no to her demands so you’re on your own if that were to occur.” 

The cat frantically went to Ren’s side of the table while he filled the bowl up. The girl looked at Morgana curiously and then to her boyfriend who shrugged. 

He brought his food and coffee to the seat next to her as he watched her murder the bowl of curry. 

"This is amazing." Sumire remarked

"It's almost as good as the chief’s!" Morgana added. 

"Glad to see I'm getting better at least. I could use more practice though if you're willing to help Sumi." 

"I'd love to!" She responded after swallowing the food. 

The ravenette took a sip from the iced beverage. "Guess that means you have a good excuse to come over more often now." Ren finished with a grin.

"I think my mom would be elated with that but I don't know about my dad." She said, looking a little disappointed.

He grasped her hands. "Guess I'll have to make some for him too, maybe that'll win him over."

She giggled and felt confident again. 

"Speaking of your father, he wanted you home by eleven." 

She pouted, "I really wanted to spend more time with you though. Especially before…" The redhead trailed off. 

"Before nationals right?" He concluded. 

"Mhmm. I was hoping we could have more time together. Coach Hiraguchi made a three-week program for me to prepare for it and it's overseas. I-" She stammered a bit trying to control her emotions. 

  
  
  


"I-i don't know if I c-can last that long without you." She whimpered the end. 

Ren held her closer to him as she leaned her head onto the side of his shoulder. 

"Of course you can. I might not be able to come with you but I can still visit you." He brushed her hair out of her eyes. 

"And we'll make up for all the lost time okay?" He added. 

"You're right, I'm gonna make you proud when you see my routine!" She declared with conviction.

"I can't wait sweetie." They went back to finishing their breakfast and seeing Morgana jump around watching a cartoon. He truly was a child at heart. 

After bidding the cat goodbye, the two teens went to Sumire's house as time melted away faster than either of them expected. As they reached her door, she embraced him.

"I'm gonna miss you so much for the next three weeks." 

  
  


"I'll still call you everyday Sumi. In the meantime, I'll have your father to keep me company. He did want to talk to me at three today." 

"Father wants to talk to you? Oh no, what about t-the fan girls? They're gonna steal you away!" She puffed her cheek in adorable anger at the prospect. 

"As if they have a chance, the only one for me is you sweetie. I love you." 

"I love you too Ren." They kissed before she entered the house, to see her mother screaming in delight as soon as she did. 

"SHINICHI THEY'RE BACK AND LOOK HOW CUTE THEY ARE!" Akane shouted; she was waiting to do this since yesterday. 

"MOMMMM"

The ravenette waved a goodbye and let his girlfriend deal with the teasing for now. He certainly was gonna miss seeing her but he knew that her ambitions were far more important. Besides, he'd still see her performance at the end and it'd be all worth it. 

With some free time to kill until he was supposed to meet with Mr. Yoshizawa, he decided to head back to Leblanc. He remembered all of his gifts from yesterday and he did want to see the full damage to the cafe. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, so I gave the emotional angsty stuff a shot; I'm curious to see if you guys prefer that over my usual humor and sweet stuff all the time. Different styles help me feel more complete as a writer and it wasn't particularly hard; it was more so just different than my usual way of thinking. Anyways, yes Sumi's gonna be gone for a bit doing her usual stuff because ya know life happens. Uhhh I have a major AP Test on Friday and I gotta start prepping for the two college courses that I'm taking this summer (right before my junior year of high school!) so the next couple chapters are probably gonna be later, like way later than my usual upload speed. A minor issue I had was making Ren 17 on his birthday, I think he's supposed to be 18 because I had a complete lapse in concentration when writing it. So yes, Ren is 18 now. I'll fix the chapters eventually but kind of preoccupied. On the upside, I think the quality of my work is getting better? I can't say. Anyways let me know your thoughts in the comments!


	7. Tables

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ren decides to see what the heck is bonkin in Leblanc

Ren shuffled through his hair throughout the wild curls in front of his eyes. The sunlight and heat proved detrimental to the natural frizz of his hair. It was fairly typical weather considering it was still summer vacation but it did cause his lips to shape a small frown of sorts. 

He made his way to Leblanc relatively fast and was pondering how bad the damage could have gotten. Ryuji's killer dance moves might have caused all of the tables to break and he was worried to see what Yusuke ended up concocting on the parcel. Haru's violence certainly horrified the windows and he was still quite worried about Futaba laughing like a maniac. 

As he got to the cafe up close, the damage was even worse than he expected. Ryuji was asleep in a trash can outside the shop, covered by coffee beans. Yusuke was passed out on the counter of Leblanc and was quite visible through the now glassless door. Sojiro posted a note on the wall next to the cafe which stated, 

_ "Gone fishing." _

The teen decided to wake up his blonde friend as he was unsure if this was his preferred sleeping spot or he got placed there overnight. He pulled him out and laid him on the ground, his dozing face was covered with coffee bean residue.

Ren jostled the blonde’s shoulder to awaken him, which worked faster than he anticipated. 

The delinquent was wide awake just from that somehow. "Ah crap is it morning?!? How the f did I sleep here?" Ryuji exclaimed to himself. 

"I wonder who put you in the trash can though." The ravenette pondered. 

"KAMOSHIDA! Wait nah I think that was my weird ass dream. That party was somethingggg mannnn, you missed the best part when you left with Yoshizawa."

"Let me guess, you broke another table?"

The boy grinned sheepishly while running his head. 

"Kinda. Wanna check it out?" 

The two teens entered the broken restaurant to see fragments of tables in a pile all the way in the back along with glass shards collected in the corner of the cafe. The counter was fine except for some marks left by Ryuji's 'elegant' dancing and their artist friend was in a state of unconsciousness. 

"Dear God, how has Sojiro not killed us?" 

"Oh yeah, think he left cuz this was stressing him out. He'll be fine, we still got one table left!" 

The aforementioned table then broke as soon as the boy uttered the words.

"Ah shit!"

"Let's at least clean up the place so our deaths aren't too painful. We should wake up Yusuke to help us out." 

"Leave it to me!" The Blonde took a couple steps back and charged at the boy, breaking into another uncontrollable fit of dancing. 

"I don't think that's gonna work Ryuji." 

"Just keep watching!" 

Within moments, it seemed like Yusuke had achieved artistic orgasm and awoke with a fire in his eyes. 

"I HAVE LOOKED INTO THE EYES OF GOD AND I HAVE SEEN TRUE BEAUTY! RYUJI, YOU MUST CHANGE YOUR WORLDLY APPEARANCE TO MATCH THE GRACE OF YOUR ABILITIES!" 

"For real?" The blonde responded in confusion at what Yusuke had said. 

"Yes, yes… yes!" The bluenette was now developing ideas onto what he would wear.

"Let's discuss Ryuji's beauty while cleaning guys." 

"Aw thanks Ren, wait. Ain't that weird?"

"Preposterous! Beauty comes in every form and it is my understanding that I shall depict each and every one of them!" 

The three went to clean the mess of the place and filled Ren in on what other shenanigans went on the prior night.

Futaba, being the gremlin that she is, recorded everything that went down during the party with secret hidden cameras. Laughing like a psychopath, she watched the boys clean and hoped to dig up some dirt. Guys always talked about weird shit when they were alone right? Probably. 

"Ya know, that party was such a blast! We should do this every year Ren-ren." The boy grinned at the nickname, even if it was a bit too silly for his liking. It was still something that meant a lot to the boy, every gesture made him appreciate how close he was with his friends. 

"I don't think there's enough tables to handle that, but it was fun. If we can get everyone together for it, then it sounds like a plan. Us three could still try to hang out more often together though, we haven't really had a guys night out for a while." Ren uttered in response while lifting the table debris into a giant trash bag he set in the corner. 

Ryuji was ecstatic while he put more debris into the bag."Hell yeah man! The boys are back together and there's nothing to stop us!" 

Yusuke agreed, "We shall be the symbol of friendship throughout the land." 

After laughing about Yusuke's eccentricity, the three cleaned in a small silence before the blonde introduced a slightly more personal topic. 

"Ya know, I really missed you guys... I missed the whole gang obviously, but man just talking with you guys makes me feel like I belong somewhere." He said while looking down at the ground, swiping the wood into a dustpan.

"I must agree with that statement Ryuji; your presence provided a much more enjoyable atmosphere. Seeing the others was something I needed to numb the aching heart of loneliness." 

"Thanks man! I think?" The three chuckled, just like old times. 

"It's definitely hard with us moving towards our own future but hey, we're always going to have each other. The main thing is being able to find time through the hustle and bustle of our daily lives and talking with the people we care about." The ravenette responded with. 

"People we care about huh?" Ryuji muttered the bit to himself, thinking about a certain someone. 

His fellow delinquent friend saw the look in his eye and immediately went to tease him. The gleam in his eye reminded him of the sight of himself whenever he was with Sumire. 

"Oooh~, is Ryuji finally going to ask out Ann now? Yusuke, I think you and I have to help our friend out as our first official mission of boys night out." 

"Ah what a marvelous idea Ren! I can see it, love depicted between two yellow doves who are fluttering effervescently."

"WAIT HEY WHAT ARE YOU GUYS TALKING ABOUT!" Ryuji exclaimed in embarrassment. 

"Oh come onnn, it's obvious. Oooh childhood friends and you guys are super close, just say the words and you'll never feel lonely again." The boy said while grabbing his other two friends on the shoulders. 

"I must attest to that, you truly are 'sitting in a tree k i s s i n g' as is the old English saying." The bluenette added, earning a laughing fit from Ren.

"Uh Ren my English ain't that good. What's that mean?" The blonde asked. 

"He basically said you and Ann are making out."

"HEY NOT COOL!" The three went back to more teasing with Ryuji as the target before the delinquent shifted the topic to someone else's love life. 

"All right all right, enough about me though. Soooooooo Yusuke, how's it going with Futaba huh?" 

Clash. 

Ren had dropped his broom as soon as heard that. Suddenly, Yusuke got chills and felt like he was in for some deeeeepppp shit. He winced at Ryujis comment before attempting a denial.

"I-i do not think I understand what you are insinuating." 

"Oh bro, you think I was obvious? You're even more obvious with the whole inari thing you got going on with Futaba. And taking her out to lunch after school and asking her to be one of your models?" He said while clasping his shoulder and chuckling. A breeze flew into the cafe with a bit of gust as Ren turned around to face the pair. While Ryuji was dying of laughter at how Yusuke was stuttered up, Ren looked his artist friend dead in the eye. 

The gust blew his hair to the side of his face as his face seemed to glow a radiant glow that only boosted the level of fear in Yusuke's face. Ren's eyes were revealed with a less than friendly look to the artist and the gaze was long before he said a word. 

"That's a turn of events I didn't expect Yusuke. To think you did not tell me though…" 

The ravenette took a step forward and his blue-haired friend shivered. Inch by inch, he came closer to his friend and the lobster-lover was frozen in place. 

_ "Is this when I shall die?" _ The boy thought as Ren was now looking into every aspect of his eyes. It felt like he was analyzing the best way to carve them out with the amount of focus he poised into them. 

"I'm happy for you two." He said before smiling and giving a pat on Yusuke's shoulder.

"W-what???" He stuttered out in confusion. 

"Well I thought you guys were pretty great together and I was kind of hoping that she'd be with you to be honest. You're kind, hard-working, and heck, you two are both strange in your own unique way. But I do wish you told me a while ago, you don't know how annoying it was for her to tease me about Sumire and I." He proclaimed, earning a tearful hug from Yusuke. 

"T-thank you, my friend. You truly worried me for a second with your gaze, I don't think I've ever felt such terror in my life." He uttered in pure relief. 

He returned the gesture. "Oh come on, I'm not that evil. Besides, I can just spam pictures of you two together and replace her face with a lobster, a perfect revenge if you ask me." 

"Ahahaha I still remember that from last year, we definitely gotta go this year too though!" Ryuji added from the floor after his laughing fit forced him to do so. The scene of Yusuke quivering in his boots was too good to pass up for him. 

"Another destination to add for our meetups then."

The three went back to cleaning and talking about more random topics like Yusuke's infatuation with nudity, Ryuji powering through a beef bowl in two minutes, and Ren walking in on Morgana teaching himself the computer. 

As they eventually wrapped up and were saying their goodbyes to Ren, Yusuke had a question and stayed a bit after Ryuji had left. 

"M-my friend, do you think-" 

Ren knew what he was going to ask, it was apparent that there was one unknown individual that might impede on Futaba and Yusuke being together and it was none other than.. 

"Sojiro would approve, probably. He knows you to an extent but I'd do it at the right time. He did work in the government ya know, so I'm sure picked up on some things and could easily track you down if you ever hurt her."

"But if that were to happen…" He took a pause, looking his close friend in the eye again. 

"Then you would have two people on the outlook for you. That would be a shame, wouldn't it Yusuke?" He smiled to emphasize the fear and panic building up in his blue haired friend. 

"I-it t-truly would. I-I believe I have t-to depart for now, f-f-farewell." He uttered before walking off, somewhat scarred from the ordeal 

The boy laughed to himself, it wasn't the nicest thing to do by scaring the lights off of his friend but he didn't exactly want Sojiro to knock Yusuke out with a coffee pot when he saw Futaba on a date with the bluenette.

He felt multiple vibrations from his phone for the last 20 minutes so he decided to see what it was about.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Really tired from everything man. My AP test went well but I just feel absolutely terrible. Regardless, I already have the chapter after the next one planned out but got some stuff coming up so we'll see. Chapters are gonna be a bit short like these ones but leave a comment and lmk your thoughts!


	8. Presents

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ren checks out the gifts he got for his beloved birthday and reflects a bit on his friends/family.

Ren checked his phone and was met with a ludicrous amount of text messages that were from an 'anonymous' source but he knew it was Futaba. 

**_oeocnrmeid: DONT HURT ART BOY_ **

**_fkrkejfjf: WE HAVENT DONR ANYTHING_ **

There were similar messages to that degree and then one final text at the end.

**_fodocnvr: okay good you're not mad lmao and don't worry, dad has broken coffee machines_ **

**_ren sakura: honestly im more scared of what you'd do to yusuke if he ever hurt you_ **

Futaba had gone back to her actual number now.

**_orange gremlin: mwheheh_ **

**_orange gremlin: i was going to tell you eventually but we didn't know the best way to tell you_ **

**_ren sakura: you're fine, just glad to see the two of you happy_ **

**_ren sakura: also any idea on how the cafes gonna be fixed_ **

**_orange gremlin: uh no clue, dad took the day off from stress. think he actually went fishing LMAO_ **

**_orange gremlin: i wouldnt stress tho, check your presents in the attic btw!_ **

**_ren sakura: sure, your present doesn't have tracking devices right?_ **

**_orange gremlin: OH NO LOOKS LIKE DAD NEEDS MY HELP GOTTA GO_ **

The teen laughed at the sudden exit she made and took one last look at the cafe's first floor. It was clean for the most part, as all the debris and litter were neatly placed in bags. It looked quite empty nonetheless but he was sure that Sojiro would fix it somehow. 

He made his way upstairs to see a neat couple of presents lined up in the attic. The attic itself was quite empty as he rarely was there but the bed was still clean for Ren's standards. It was a bit surreal to be back here after six months and see it as exactly as he left it. The old wood piece where he did pull-ups, the strange desk where he made infiltration tools, and the old electronics that he used with his friends. He looked at the sloppily wrapped present with an imperfect bow and assumed it was Ryuji's present. The color choice wasn't exactly the best birthday esque as the boy picked yellow and purple of all colors but it worked well regardless. 

He unwrapped the gift carefully and inspected the bow to see that it was a pair of running shoes, specifically in all black. It came with a little note card as well that had the blonde's handwriting,

_ "now ya don't have an excuse not to run, we running back to my school and back! happy birthday bro!!!!!! - ryuji"  _

Running with Ryuji was always something to get his mind off some issues that he had been going through when he first moved to Tokyo. The blonde felt like he had no one else to relate to before Ren arrived and it felt like the two were getting away from their troubles by literally running away from trouble. 

Everyone at Shujin always looked at the pair as if they were the epitome of evil rather than just two normal students living their lives. It was the culture of Japan nonetheless; if you were seen as someone with a bad past, it would follow you everywhere. It was one of the reasons that Ren wanted to change the culture of the country, as individuals shouldn't be hounded for their past constantly and be forced terrible treatment solely because of a few mistakes. The important thing was learning from them and being someone that would help others. 

Likewise, everyone had judged Ryuji for ‘ruining’ the track team and throwing away all of his talents. He was coerced into hitting Kamoshida so that the shovel-chin pedophile could easily retaliate and ruin Ryuji’s chances of running. A broken leg, a ruined reputation, and disappointed glares followed as soon as the deed was done. The worst part for the blonde was seeing his mother breakdown and apologize for not being a better mother…

It killed him. The fact that she wasn’t mad at him, but disappointed at herself for not being a good enough mom. It destroyed any spirit or energy the boy had towards running and of the entire school. His friends didn’t want to hang around him and his classmates looked at him in fear, seeing only a violent delinquent. He was an outcast in every sense and he didn’t really see the point in caring about anything. His grades dropped, he couldn’t run, and most of all, he felt alone. The only thing he had left was him and his own thoughts of his own mistakes. It hounded his mind every minute, especially when he was walking. His leg still had the fear of stuttering and cramping if he pushed himself too hard, and he never wanted to feel that pain again. Not the physical sensation of the pain, but rather the pain of not being able to do what he loved at one point. 

But, that all changed when Ryuji met Ren, two delinquents in the same pod (some teachers would probably say cell). Becoming quick friends and fighting against the so-called shitty adults in the world, that was the time of their lives. He wanted to help reform the world for his friends and so that no one ever feels like he did, even if Morgana argued it was to get girls instead. Even if the two were off doing their own things, they were still gonna run. Not to get away from the troubles of life now but to just live and enjoy the thrill of it. 

_ “These are awesome, they’re just like the ones that he saved up for himself. I hope he didn’t spend all of his money on getting me this though, Ryuji without beef bowls is like Yusuke without art.” He thought to himself.  _

He placed the shoes off to the side and opened the next present, a pink regal box with an even pinker polka-dotted ribbon at the top. It was quite obviously Haru’s present without a doubt. The ravenette wondered what it could be exactly could be as the floof-haired girl spoiled him with luxuries thanks to her massive wealth. She truly was too kind but he tried to repay the favor when it was possible. 

It was a tiny box but it had a jingle to it, it seemed like it was something metallic? He opened it up to see a numerous amount of small keys along with a small note from Haru.

_ “hey Ren! I know you haven’t ever been on the sea before so I thought it was a good idea to get you your own private submarine and a cruise ship all for yourself! here’s the address where you can get both and here are the keys for it! Hope you like it! - haru _

_ “A whole boat? And a submarine? Dear God, the Okumuras are something else. Haru really is amazing though, maybe I can use the ship to throw our next get together though. Gotta find a spectacular gift for her the next time we catch up over coffee or something, Morgana certainly missed her presence.”  _

The cat didn’t like to admit it but he loved when people scratched him in the right spot. Heck, he’d purr and roll around like a normal cat if you rubbed right behind his left ear, a crucial weak point that only Haru and Ren used to calm the cat down.He texted a thank you to Haru and Ryuji for their spectacular presents and looked at the other ones. He looked at a rainbow assorted box that was absolutely massive in size compared to the other presents, he wondered who’s present it could be exactly. He opened it up to be swarmed in the number of sweets that were forced into the box. It figuratively exploded sugar into his face as soon as he opened it. He saw a tiny little inscription into the side that simply said 

_ BEST SWEETS EVER FROM AMERICA & ANN!!!!  _

_ “I’m gonna need Sumi’s help to finish this.” _

  
  
  


He set off the sweets to see the remaining two presents and picked the more traditional looking one, as it’s plain color frame was interesting. The person who gave it clearly was serious so he assumed it was Sae. Ren opened it to see an eloquent three-piece black suit with a tie, it was as formal as it would come along with a small piece of advice. 

_ “Remember that you will have to dress the part for important events, working towards true justice requires proper representation. I hope this will help with that. - Sae Niijima”  _

  
  


A box with a brown, more old-school vibe caught the teen’s eye as it seemed like something Sojiro would use. He opened it up to see a hat that was identical to the one that the man wore except it was a darker tone, pristine condition and all. Honestly, Sojiro was a better parent to Ren than either of his parents had been. 

The worst part about Ren being arrested was the immediate abandonment. The look on their son with disappointment, even when he tried to tell them his side of the events. They refused to understand, they refused to listen, they  **never** truly cared. He was their son for as long as he was alive until that moment but he thought back to all the times when they showed empathy for their own... but they hadn’t shown it. It’s easy to do the bare minimum for your child and for them not to notice. It wasn’t exactly neglect, no... It was never having a proper connection to your own. 

Not once before. Not once after. Not even now did they try to call him to check up on him. Even if Sojiro was cold to him at first, he at least cared and accepted Ren for who he was. He listened, he cared, and he felt human. His parents were robotic in nature and he certainly did not miss their spirit. He sighed remembering them but tried to move his focus away from them. There wasn’t any point in thinking about them when they clearly weren’t doing the mutual. Instead, Ren grinned at the hat, it felt nice to wear. It kind of made him feel like a younger Sojiro in a sense even if he didn’t have the same level of charm the coffee master had. 

After looking back at the box, he saw that he almost missed another gift that was placed at the bottom. It was a pretty big box and he failed to see the laptop someone had put in there. It was a light laptop but it looked customized in every way, it even had some stickers on the front that looked like it was four people. It was Ren himself, Morgana, Sojiro, and Futaba all happy together in a family portrait of the sort, sticker edition at least. Futaba wrote a tiny post note on it that said 

_ Ur old laptop sucked, your welcome!!! - your favorite sister _

_ ps i kinda forgot that birthday presents have boxes, so i yeeted this in sojiros when he wasnt looking. U should have seen how he was looking when he picked it out for u mwehehehe. _

He had finished opening all of his gifts and he was touched by all of them. Each of them fit his friends’ personalities and had a significant meaning to him, they cared a lot about him and he did as well. 

Ren looked at his phone, looking at the black screen to see a reflection of how he looked with the hat. It made him feel a part of a family that actually cared for him, just like he said when he truly came home. It wasn’t a place but it was the people he cared for in his life, the people that would always be with him. 

A thought waived into his head after reading the note again.  _ “Reminds me that Futaba still has me in her contacts with their last name... “ _

_. _

_. _

_. _

_. _

_. _

“ _ That’s what- _

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


_ families have.” He affirmed in his head. _

Messing with the hat a bit, he tried to carry all of the gifts with him before organizing them in a bag from downstairs. Thankfully, there was a large enough bag that would be able to hold all of the gifts in their boxes and he went his way back to his house. 

As he arrived, he saw Morgana jumping around the door excitedly.

“DID YOU BRING FOOD!?!” The cat jumped with glee.

He kneeled down so the cat could hop on his shoulder as usual. “You wish. These are the birthday gifts from yesterday, I’m gonna put them into my room.” 

“Aw mannnn, I’m still hungry though.” The cat groaned as the two made their way to the teen’s room. It was technically both their room but the home did have a guest bed if Morgana ever wanted to not suffocate Ren with his fur every morning. 

“We’ll grab something to eat in a bit then. Do you want to do anything today by the way? I have some time before I’m meeting with Sumire’s dad for a discussion on something.” 

“OOOOOHHHH, MEETING WITH HER DAD HMMM?!?” Morgana exclaimed.

“ARE YOU GONNA ASK HIM FOR HIS BLESSINGS TO PROPOSE TO SUMIRE!?!?” He meowed.

He sighed before chuckling a bit. “Her mom would absolutely adore you if she could understand what you were saying.” 

“What’s that supposed to mean?” 

“You’ll see the next time I bring you to dinner with them.” 

“Wait, I can tag along for that? Yay!” The kitty cheered. 

He petted the cat's head. “Her mom was curious to see the chaos you would bring, so you won’t have to be on your best behavior per se. Just try not to burn anything down though.” 

“Hey, I resent that!” 

The two organized the presents with the clothing items going into the closet and the sweets being set on the table. The keys for the two new Okumura vehicles were placed onto Ren’s keys along with the location to pick them up, being set on Ren’s phone. 

“Do you think we could go see a movie? There’s a really cool superhero movie I saw on t.v., it was called Tupperware-man. It’s about a man that gains the power of storage containers and uses it to stop supervillains!” Morgana cheered with a gleam in his eyes. 

“That sounds kind of cool, I guess we could check it out. We can stop by that one cafe where we studied before big tests. Leblanc would be the first place but after yesterday…” The trail off piqued the cat’s interest.

“What? It couldn’t have been that bad, but Ryuji was break dancing pretty hard…” 

“All the tables are broken and Sojiro had to take a day off to relieve some stress. I think it’ll be okay in a couple of days, maybe. Oh also, don’t hate Ryuji for what he might do in the next couple weeks.” 

“What’s he going to do, tell Good Morning Japan that he’s a Phantom Thief?” The black fuzzball joked. 

It earned a chuckle out of the ravenette. “Maybe he’ll go on there and show off his sick moves. Imagine we get Yusuke in there to paint the scene as it’s happening.” 

“We certainly are a strange bunch, but no one’s ever going to be as awesome as us Phantom Thieves!” 

“They’re certainly not gonna be any weirder than us either.” The boy quipped in return. 

After leaving the house, the two made their way to the aforementioned cafe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I told you updates would be spastic. This is more of a filler chapter tbh, I've been working on a speech for a competition and lost all spirit to write after my teacher brutalized the speech lmaooo. No mercy whatsoever in his comments; I felt self-conscious and had nightmares about it for about three days straight. It kept me up, just thinking about all my mistakes and everything I did wrong. Felt awful. But anyway, I had this chapter sitting in google docs for a while so I decided to upload it. This is going to be the last chapter for this story for a while, the other story seemed to be higher in quality, and people have been quite fond of it. I suppose it's because it's one of the few 3rd-semester retellings but with some few twists in there. Regardless, I hope this brought up your mood. Personally, I'm a lot more self-conscious of my writing after the whole speech debacle but I appreciate feedback so leave a comment or something if you want. Cya next time!

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Cards Collide: Re:Masked](https://archiveofourown.org/works/26549818) by [AkiraKuru2](https://archiveofourown.org/users/AkiraKuru2/pseuds/AkiraKuru2)




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